Man charged in series of burglaries in Levittown and Hicksville, police say

A sounding alarm at a Hicksville gas station led to the arrest early Sunday of a Levittown man, who was charged not only in the attempted burglary of the station — but also with a series of area burglaries committed in August and earlier this month.

Nassau County police said Lawrence Yodice, 61, of Flamingo Road, Levittown, was arrested at the scene after responding officers found him standing next to a silver Mercedes Benz S500 on the property. The officers had responded to an alarm at the Speedway gas station at 428 Newbridge Road at 4:16 a.m. and found a glass window at the attendant's booth smashed "in the vicinity of where the register is located in the booth." It was then, police said, the officers spotted Yodice next to the Mercedes.

The subsequent investigation determined Yodice had previously broken into a salon, a bar and also a Carvel ice cream store, police said.

Yodice was charged with third-degree burglary, petit larceny and fourth-degree criminal mischief in the Aug. 25 break-in at the J Thomas Salon in Levittown; third-degree burglary, second-degree criminal mischief and petit larceny in the Sept. 12 break-in at the Harmony Bar & Grill in Levittown; and attempted third-degree burglary and fourth-degree criminal mischief in the break-in at a Carvel store in Hicksville.

Yodice was also charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. He faces arraignment when "medically practical," police said.

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.”