Riverhead Town police searching for Long Island Aquarium burglar

Riverhead Town police are searching for a burglar who stole cash from a register at the Long Island Aquarium during a break-in discovered Monday night in Riverhead.

Police said the theft was reported at 10:55 p.m. in a 911 call from an aquarium security guard and said responding officers found the suspect — or suspects — entered the aquarium after breaking a rear window.

The break-in occurred sometime between closing and 10:30 p.m., police said.

The aquarium's general hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. According to a post on the aquarium's Facebook page Monday night, it has been shut down "until further notice" due to "NY State Mandate."

Many public spaces, including schools, movie theaters, gyms and casinos, have been ordered closed in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. On Monday, the governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut announced they were limiting gatherings to 50 people or less.

The aquarium is located on East Main Street. It was not immediately clear if investigators had surveillance footage of the incident or had any leads on a possible suspect or suspects. Police did not say how much was taken.

Anyone with information about the burglary is being asked to call investigators at 631-727-4500.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”