Police: Man arrested in Mobil gas station robbery

A Queens man who police said was one of two men involved in the distraction robbery of a Hicksville gas station last month was in custody Monday morning.

Zakariya Peerzada, 21, of Neck Parkway, Glen Oaks, was arraigned Sunday in First District Court in Hempstead on a second-degree robbery charge and ordered held on $100,000 bond or $50,000 cash bail, according to court records. He is due back in court on Wednesday.

Nassau County police said Peerzada was arrested late Saturday and said they are still searching for a second suspect.

The robbery occurred at a Mobil gas station on North Broadway at 12:34 a.m. on June 26.

Police said Peerzada and an accomplice robbed the station after one of them borrowed the key to the bathroom, then distracted the 49-year-old station attendant by complaining that the key wouldn’t open the bathroom door. While the attendant attempted to assist the suspect, police said the second suspect entered the station — and emptied the register.

Police did not say how much was taken.

When the attendant caught on to what was going on, police said one of the suspects “forcefully pushed” a newspaper rack into him, then fled the scene with the other suspect.

No one was injured in the robbery.

Police did not say what role Peerzada allegedly played in the robbery scheme and what evidence led to his 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.”