Cops: Video shows man stealing scratch-off lottery tickets

Luck may have run out for a man who authorities said stole four $30 scratch-off lottery tickets.

Suffolk County police on Tuesday released photos and video that show the man removing the tickets at Mastic Deli & Market on William Floyd Parkway in Shirley at about 1:30 a.m. on Dec. 3.

Surveillance footage shows the man in a cap reaching over the counter multiple times to grab the tickets, valued at $120. Police said the suspect then left in a taxi. The man, believed to be in his 30s, is about 6 feet tall and 160 to 175 pounds, police said.

Police did not say what kind of scratch-off tickets were taken but released a video, available at YouTube.com/scpdtv by clicking on the link for CC#17-702637.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-220-8477. Tipsters can also text SCPD at CRIMES (274637) or email police by visiting tipsubmit.com. All calls, texts and emails will remain confidential, police said, and tipsters are eligible for a cash reward of up to $5,000 for any 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.”