Police: Call us if you recognize cellphone thief at Islandia BJ’s

Suffolk County police are asking the public’s help identifying the thief seen stealing cellphones in surveillance video from a big-box store in Islandia last month.

Police released video that shows the man step up to the display case, take a cellphone, stick it into his pocket and walk away. Seconds later, the same man, wearing a white Yankees baseball hat, returns — this time stopping at a nearby display where he takes a cellphone and, while nervously keeping an eye on passing shoppers at the BJ’s Wholesale Club store last month, cuts the security cable, slips the phone into his pocket, too — and again walks away.

Police said the theft occurred about 12:10 p.m. on July 28 at the store on Old Nichols Road. The two phones were valued at about $1,700, police said.

Video of the thefts can be viewed by clicking on the link for Wanted for Grand Larceny CC#17-443497 at YouTube.com/scpdtv, police said.

Anyone with information about the thefts is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-220-8477. All calls will remain confidential and callers are eligible for a cash reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest.

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.”