Cops: Man used crowbar to smash registers at Roosevelt Field Bloomingdale's, steal $3G

Nassau County police said a man was transported to a hospital for evaluation and treatment after officers responding to an alarm at the Bloomingdale's store at the Roosevelt Field mall in Uniondale found him breaking into cash registers with a crowbar.

The condition of the suspect was not immediately known Thursday.

Police said the man, identified as Robert Ardoin, 45, of Uniondale was tased after he "refused multiple verbal commands" to drop the crowbar, which officers said he was holding over his head.

Police said officers, along with store security personnel, found Ardoin "tampering with a cash register," crowbar in hand, when they responded to the alarm Tuesday at 10:54 p.m.

While police did not immediately detail how Ardoin accessed the store, on Thursday they said Third Squad detectives determined Ardoin had damaged 15 cash registers inside the Bloomingdale's — stealing about $3,000 in cash. The investigation also linked Ardoin to a burglary at the Bloomingdale's on May 2, as well as to a similar burglary at the Macy's store at the mall on March 4, 2021, police said.

Ardoin was charged with three counts of third-degree burglary, second-degree burglary, two counts of menacing a police officer, two counts of second-degree criminal mischief, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and possession of burglar's tools.

It was not immediately clear if Ardoin is represented by counsel. 

He is scheduled for arraignment Thursday at First District Court in Hempstead.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”