Man stole purses, credit cards from shoppers' carts, police say
A Rockaway Beach man who police said targeted elderly women at supermarkets and stole their purses and credit cards has been charged with 25 counts of grand larceny and four counts of identity theft.
Frank Rodriguez, 57, was arrested at his home at 11:30 p.m. Thursday after police identified him as the man who appeared in surveillance camera footage of the thefts at supermarkets in Great Neck Plaza, Carle Place and New Hyde Park, Nassau County police said.
In those incidents, which occurred from March to July, Rodriguez took purses or credit cards from his victims’ shopping carts while they were distracted, police said in a news release. He would then “leave the store and immediately make as many purchases as possible before the credit cards were canceled,” police said.
Rodriguez was scheduled to be arraigned Saturday at First District Court in Hempstead.
Nicholas Spangler is a general assignment reporter and has worked at Newsday since 2010.
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