Cops: Hempstead man arrested after incidents at grocery store 

A Hempstead man inside a local grocery store tried to use a cellphone charger for sale without paying for it Wednesday, then threw displayed knives at employees who confronted him, Nassau County police said.

Uzoechi Jibuike, 49, of Searing Street, was charged with first-degree robbery, two counts of second-degree menacing, two counts of second-degree attempted assault, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property.

Police said he tried to open a packaged phone charger at the Jerusalem Fresh Market on Jerusalem Avenue just after 11:30 a.m. When store employees told him he had to pay first, Jibuike got angry and took two kitchen knives that were on store display, throwing them at the workers, police said. The employees were not hurt, police said.

Jibuike left with the phone charger without paying, but Hempstead police arrested him a short distance from the store, police said.

He was taken to a hospital for evaluation, police said, and will be arraigned when medically practical.