Cops: Man commits 9 burglaries in under 4 hours in Nassau

An 18-year-old Bronx man has been arrested and charged in connection with a one-night crime spree that police said saw him commit nine burglaries in Carle Place and Mineola in less than four hours.

The break-ins all occurred between 12:43 a.m. and 4:35 a.m. on Jan. 29 — and Nassau County police said they included a drugstore, a diner, a dry cleaner and other commercial locations located on Westbury Avenue, Jericho Turnpike and Herricks Road.

Police have not detailed what was taken in any of the break-ins.

Police said Richard Morgridge was arrested Wednesday and charged with nine counts of third-degree burglary. Court records show he was arraigned Thursday before Judge Vincent T. Muscarella in First District Court in Hempstead and ordered held on $20,000 bond or $10,000 cash bail, which was not posted. Morgridge has a return date in court on Monday, records show.

Court records also show Morgridge has additional pending cases in Manhattan, including an arrest Jan. 2, charged with a string of nine burglaries, and March 11, charged with four burglaries.

Records show that he was represented by Legal Aid in those cases, and released without bail.

Police said the latest spree for which Morgridge was arrested began with the burglary of Carman Drugs, at 570 Westbury Ave., Carle Place, at 12:43 a.m. on Jan. 29. Police said Morgridge then continued the spree, burglarizing Low Cost Manufacturing, at 318 Westbury Ave., Carle Place, at 1:05 a.m., followed by seven break-ins in Mineola: AAC Convenience, 90 Jericho Tpke., at 3 a.m.; the Mineola Diner, 138 Jericho Tpke., at 3:12 a.m.; Churrasqueira Bairrada, 144 Jericho Tpke., at 3:18 a.m.; Cornerstone Pub, 288 Jericho Tpke., at 3:35 a.m.; The Rex Burger & Lobster, 524 Jericho Tpke., at 3:59 a.m.; Executive Cleaners, 118 Herricks Rd., at 4:26 a.m.; and, Brasa Rodizio, 100 Herricks Rd., at 4:35 a.m.

It was not immediately clear what evidence led to the arrest of Morgridge — or where the arrest took place.

In addition to his next scheduled court appearance in Nassau County, court records show Morgridge is scheduled to appear in court in Manhattan on April 7 and April 14.

It was not immediately clear Friday if he was represented by counsel in any of the outstanding cases.

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.”