LI CRIME BRIEFS

HEMPSTEAD/Arrest in killing at fast-food eatery

A Brooklyn man has been arrested in the April fatal shooting of a man in a Hempstead fast-food restaurant parking lot, police announced yesterday afternoon.

Ronnie Duren, 41, of Bainbridge Street, was charged with second-degree murder, two counts of second-degree attempted murder and violation of parole, Nassau County police said.

Duren is charged in the late-night April 16 shooting of Michael Prophet, 35, in the restaurant lot at 340 Peninsula Blvd. Police have not revealed a motive.

Prophet was pronounced dead at the scene, while two others suffered injuries from the shots and were taken to hospitals. Police said Duren was arraigned at a hospital after complaining of chest pains. Details of that arraignment were not immediately available.

He was ordered held without bail, a Nassau County police spokesman said.

Duren remained in the hospital Tuesday evening, the official said.

The Nassau police electronics squad and U.S. marshals assisted in the investigation.

AMITYVILLE/Reward for leads about tossed kitten

Authorities are offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case of a kitten thrown from a car window in the Amityville area.

Calling it a "horrible act of animal cruelty," Roy Gross, chief of the Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said he "is asking anyone who remembers seeing this happen" on June 8 to come forward.

"We want to apprehend this person as quickly as possible," Gross said.

The male black cat, who was 9 weeks old at the time, was taken to North Shore Animal League in Port Washington, where it was treated for major injuries including broken legs, Gross said.

Now 12 weeks old, the kitten, which has been named Beetle, is recovering with a foster family, Gross said. "The cat is doing well and will hopefully, down the road, be adopted," he said.

The cat's attacker could face felony animal cruelty charges and time in jail, Gross said.

Anyone with information can call the Suffolk County SPCA at 631-382-7722. All calls will remain confidential.

-- YAMICHE ALCINDOR

NEW HYDE PARK/Ex-employee charged in pizzeria burglary

An ex-pizza parlor employee remembered he had a building key, so he used it to enter the New Hyde Park restaurant after hours and steal from its cash registers, police said. But it seems he forgot about the security cameras.

Thomas Mitrakos, 23, of 315 S. 10th St., New Hyde Park, was arrested Monday and charged with burglary, after Nassau County's Third Squad said security cameras recorded his theft at Angelina's Pizzeria.

After recently quitting his job, Mitrakos kept the key to the pizzeria at 1300 Jericho Tpke., police said. He then used that key to enter the restaurant about 3:30 a.m. Monday to take money from two cash registers, police said.

His theft was recorded on the restaurant's security cameras, police said, and he was arrested about 12 hours later.

Mitrakos is charged with burglary and was scheduled to be arraigned yesterday at First District Court in Hempstead.

-- GARY DYMSKI

GARDEN CITY/4 men arrested after camera store break-in

Four Queens men were arrested yesterday morning after they burglarized a camera store in Garden City, police said.

Two of the men broke into Neptune Camera on Seventh Street, while two others circled the block acting as lookouts. But, police said, a passerby startled the burglars, who then were arrested by Garden City police.

Police said a mask, gloves, a screwdriver and adjustable wrench were recovered from the getaway car.

Nassau County police said Edward Collins, 43, of Linden Street, Ridgewood; Robert Ebert, 31, of 85th Street, Woodhaven; Idlefonso Marrero, 39, of Harman Street, Ridgewood; and Phillip Serrano, 36, of 224th Street, Queens Village, were each charged with third-degree possession of stolen property, third-degree attempted burglary and possession of burglary tools.

Serrano also was charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operator of a motor vehicle, police said.

The arrests were made at 4:13 a.m., police said.

All four are scheduled for arraignment today in First District Court, Hempstead.

-- JOHN VALENTI

GREAT NECK

Cops: Man used fake gift cards at auto dealership

A Queens man has been arrested on fraud charges after using bogus gift cards to purchase automobile repair parts worth more than $1,500 from a Great Neck dealership, Nassau County police said yesterday morning.

Sixth Squad detectives said Adrian Alexander Abrams, 22, of 246th Street, Rosedale, twice in March used the fraudulent gift cards to buy the parts from the service department at BMW of Bayside at 266 E. Shore Rd.

He is charged with three counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree, grand larceny in the fourth degree and two counts of identity theft in the second degree, police said.

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

-- GARY DYMSKI