Matthew Metz of Freeport arrested in holdups of CVS, liquor store

A Freeport man faces charges of robbing a drugstore and a liquor store and trying to rob gas station, Nassau County police said Friday.

Matthew F. Metz, 19, of 73 Vanburen St., was arrested on robbery charges at about 1:18 a.m. Friday, after using a silver pellet gun to make off with an undisclosed amount of cash from the CVS store at 403 Atlantic Ave., Freeport, police said.

He wore a ski mask, hooded sweatshirt and gloves when he demanded money from a clerk, a man, 19, and then left the store.

Freeport patrol officers said they saw Metz riding a bicycle eastbound on Atlantic Avenue at South Long Beach Avenue and arrested him two blocks east, at Miller Avenue, after a brief struggle, police said.

One officer hurt his hand in the scuffle, according to a news release.

Police said an investigation determined that Metz robbed Crosstown Liquor, at 57 S. Main St., Freeport, at about 6 p.m. Tuesday and less than a half-hour later, he tried to rob a Sunoco station at 279 Atlantic Ave., also in Freeport.

He got an undisclosed amount of cash from the liquor store, but the clerk at the station, a man, 55, swatted at the suspect’s gun and he fled in an unknown direction with no proceeds, police said.

No injuries were reported in the two robberies or the attempted robbery; one customer was in the gas station, police said.

Metz is charged with two counts of second-degree robbery, first-degree attempted robbery and second-degree assault. He is scheduled to be arraigned Friday at First District Court in Hempstead.