LI CRIME BRIEFS

WESTBURY/Boyfriend arrested for pulling woman off job

A 20-year-old Freeport man was arrested and charged with unlawful imprisonment after, police said, he went to his girlfriend's workplace in Westbury, pulled her from the building, pushed her into his car -- and drove off.

Jose Mejia, of 224 N. Columbus Ave., was arrested on Old Country Road near Merchants Concourse in Westbury and charged with second-degree unlawful imprisonment and petty larceny. He was released on his own recognizance after being arraigned Wednesday in First District Court in Hempstead and given a March 14 court date. His girlfriend was issued an order of protection against him, a court official said.

Police said that Mejia went to his girlfriend's workplace on Post Avenue at 5:13 p.m. Tuesday, pulled her from the building and pushed her into the car.

The woman, whose identity was not released, was in the backseat when Mejia drove off, heading south on Post Avenue, police said. Police said the two had earlier been heard arguing on her cellphone.

Witnesses called police, who later stopped the car.

-- JOHN VALENTI

FRANKLIN SQUARE/Witness thwarts store's attempted armed robbery

Nassau County police are looking for two men who tried to rob a Franklin Square jewelry store.

Detectives said one of the men pointed a handgun at a store employee at Stein Family Jewelers on Hempstead Turnpike at 10:15 a.m. Sunday. The employee managed to activate a panic alarm before the men ordered him into the back of the store and tied his hands.

They were startled, though, when a witness walked in, and fled without taking anything, police said.

Detectives ask anyone with information on the incident to call Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 800-244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous.

-- NICHOLAS SPANGLER

WEST HEMPSTEAD/Queens trio arrested after home burglary

Three Queens men were arrested and charged with burglary after, police said, they broke into -- and ransacked -- a home in West Hempstead.

A woman who lived in the house was home at the time and hid in an upstairs closet, from where she called a family member -- who then called police.

Nassau County police said two of the men were arrested Tuesday in the shed of a nearby yard after a canine search, while the getaway driver was later stopped on Hempstead Gardens Drive, where he was arrested by a Fifth Precinct patrol officer alerted by a broadcast description of the car.

Shakey Foster-Bey, 24, of 168-37 11th Rd., Johan M. Antney, 21, of 107-54 166th St. and Carl S. Brown, 23, of 111-33 173rd St., all in Queens, were charged with second-degree burglary. Bail for each man was set at $200,000 bond or $100,000 cash at Wednesday's arraignment in First District Court in Hempstead. They were due back in court Friday.

The burglary took place at the home on Eagle Avenue at 1:20 p.m. Tuesday.

-- JOHN VALENTI

SMITHTOWN/Man faces grand larceny charge in car deal

A Smithtown man sold a 2006 Ford van for $4,800 but never delivered the car to the buyer, Suffolk police said.

Emmanuel Amaral, 42, was charged Wednesday with third-degree grand larceny, following his arrest late last year on four other cases in which he also scammed car buyers out of their money, police said.

He would befriend people, including becoming a coach at various youth sports games, and tell potential victims that he came across great deals as a used car salesman, said Fourth Precinct Det. Sgt. Frank Catalina. " 'I have one right now, as a matter of fact' is the line he gives them," the detective said.

Amaral said he operates out of Jake's Towing and Recovery in Ronkonkoma, but it's not clear if he's the owner, police said.

"We don't know that he even has the cars," Catalina said. "He claims to have the cars, although we haven't had anyone who's seen the vehicles.

"He takes a deposit for the vehicle and tells them that there's still paperwork issues he has to work out and as soon as he's able to deliver the vehicle, he'll get back in touch with them, which never happens."

In each of the five cases, buyers gave Amaral at least $3,000, Catalina said: "Most of the time, it's one of those things where it seems the deal is too good to be true. He's asking for half of what the book value would be."

Amaral, of 15 Mill Dam Rd., is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday at First District Court in Central Islip. He could not be reached for comment, and no one answered the phone at the towing company.

Detectives believe there may be more victims and ask anyone with information to call 631-854-8452 or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 800-220-TIPS.

-- ELLEN YAN