Hempstead man accused of burglary, public lewdness in East Garden City, Carle Place

A Hempstead man was arrested Saturday for stealing appliances and exposing himself to others, including children, in stores, Nassau County police said.

Charles McClendon, 47, stole five vacuums worth of $2,500 from Best Buy on Dec. 30 and exposed himself to a 65-year-old woman in the restroom of a buybuyBABY store in East Garden City two days later, according to a police news release.

Police said they were tipped off on Oct. 15 by two shoppers who said a man exposed his genitals in front of them and their toddler children at Old Navy in East Garden City.

Police later linked the incident to McClendon, who they said also showered in the women’s locker room on Oct. 15 without permission at Orangetheory Fitness, a gym in Carle Place.

McClendon, who was in a hospital Saturday, will be arraigned when “medically practical,” a police spokesman said, declining to elaborate on McClendon’s conditions.

McClendon has been charged with third-degree burglary, fourth-degree grand larceny, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and three counts of public lewdness and criminal trespass.