Hewlett man charged in burglaries

A Hewlett man faces burglary and forgery charges after using a copied key and a stolen key to break into the residences of two neighbors at his apartment complex, Nassau County police said Tuesday.

Fourth Squad detectives said Jonathan R. Hoffman, 41, of unit 24C at 67 Prospect Ave., was arrested Monday at his apartment. He is charged with seven counts of burglary, two counts of possession of a forged instrument and identity theft, police said.

Hoffman had made a duplicate a key for the apartment of a woman, 86, then entered the victim's premises on six separate occasions between Oct. 21 and Nov. 7, police said.

He also entered another apartment in the complex in September, using a key he had stolen from a woman, 48. When the woman came home to find Hoffman in her apartment, he told her he was an exterminator and left, police said.

Police said Hoffman stole assorted pieces of jewelry and an unknown amount of cash.

In an unrelated case, police said they also found Hoffman with two forged prescriptions for oxycodone.

He was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday at First District Court in Hempstead.