Woman lured to East Rockaway home, beaten and robbed, Nassau police say
Three brothers and a female friend were arraigned on robbery charges Friday after police said they lured a 20-year-old woman to the home where the brothers live in East Rockaway, attacked the victim and stole her pocketbook.
The robbery netted credit cards and less than $100 in cash, Nassau County police said.
Police said the crime began around 6:50 p.m. Thursday when Anthony Battaglia, 22, "lured" the victim, whom police said he knew, to the house he shares with his two brothers on Maxwell Street. Once at the home, police said Battaglia, along with brothers Robert Battaglia, 21, and Brandon Battaglia, 21, and the female friend, Kristin Milbank, 19, of Oceanside, attacked the victim, punching and kicking her "multiple times" and taking her pocketbook.
The victim, whose identity was not released, was able to eventually flee and call police. Police said the woman suffered arm and leg injuries, but refused medical attention.
Officers responding to the scene arrested Anthony Battaglia and Milbank without incident, but said Brandon and Robert Battaglia attempted to flee and "struggled" with officers. Both were eventually subdued and arrested, police said, but not before a sergeant involved in the arrests suffered arm and shoulder injuries.
That sergeant, who was not identified by police, was transported to a hospital for evaluation and treatment of injuries, police said.
The four were charged with second-degree robbery.
Additionally, Robert Battaglia and Brandon Battaglia were charged with resisting arrest. Robert Battaglia also was charged with second-degree assault, while Brandon Battaglia was charged with third-degree menacing and second-degree harassment.
All four were arraigned Friday in Nassau County First District Court in Hempstead, according to online court records. Robert and Brandon Battaglia both had bail set at $30,000 bond and $15,000 cash. Anthony Battaglia and Kristin Milbank both had bail set at $30,000 bond and $15,000 cash. All four had an order of protection issued against them.
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.”
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