LI CRIME BRIEFS

LYNBROOK/Two men rob McDonald's and safe at gunpoint

Two men forced eight employees into a manager's office at gunpoint at the McDonald's in Lynbrook Thursday night and ordered the manager to open a safe, Nassau County police said.

Police are searching for the robbers, at least one of whom had a silver handgun.

The robbery occurred at the McDonald's on Merrick Road at 9:12 p.m., police said.

Police said the two men entered the store and one ordered food. Then, he jumped over the counter, flashing the gun, as the second man went behind the counter as well. They herded the employees into the office and forced the manager to open the safe.

Money from the safe was placed into a knapsack. The robbers also stole money from the registers, police said.

Police did not say how much cash was taken.

The two then fled through a side door.

No customers were in the eatery and no one was injured. Police are asking that anyone with information about the crime contact Crime Stoppers at 800-244-TIPS. All calls will remain confidential.

- JOHN VALENTI

CORAM/Officers rescue woman from house fire

A Suffolk County police officer was treated for smoke inhalation after he and a fellow officer rescued a woman from a house fire Thursday in Coram, police said.

The woman had minor burns to her right hand, police said. She and the officer with smoke inhalation, Tony Napolitano, were treated at John T. Mather Memorial Hospital in Port Jefferson, police said.

Police said Napolitano and Officer Mike Murnane, sent to the house fire on Westfield Road at 5:16 p.m., found the kitchen ablaze. The officers found resident Trudy Dinkel, 45, in the kitchen and pulled her from the house.

Police said the officers went back into the house and tried to extinguish the blaze, but could not. Heavy smoke forced them out.

Twenty-five firefighters from Middle Island, Gordon Heights and Coram brought the fire under control in 45 minutes.

Middle Island Fire department spokeswoman Debbie Tunjian said the fire began on the kitchen stove.

"It spread throughout the whole kitchen and up through the attic and roof," she said.

- JOHN VALENTI AND BILL MASON

BAY SHORE/Man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of brothers

A Bay Shore man pleaded guilty Friday in Suffolk County Court in Riverside to sexually abusing three of his girlfriend's children.

Gary Wayne Hall, 29, admitted abusing one, a 5-year-old boy, 10 to 15 times over the course of a year.

County Court Judge Barbara Kahn said she probably will sentence Hall to 17 years in prison and 20 years' probation at his Nov. 23 sentencing.

Kahn said Hall would be evaluated when he is released from prison to determine whether he has a mental condition that makes him a dangerous sex offender. If so, he would be confined to a psychiatric institution, Assistant District Attorney Elena Tomaro said.

Hall pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree engaging in a course of sexual conduct with a child and three counts of first-degree criminal sex act with a minor.

In court, Hall also said he abused

the boy's two brothers, ages 2 and 3, in April.

- CARL MACGOWAN