Copiague man charged in Suffolk robberies, cops say

Joseph Putre was charged with robbing five stores in Suffolk over a nine-month span, police said. Credit: SCPD
A Copiague man was charged in connection with robbing five stores — four at knifepoint — in three South Shore communities, Suffolk police said on Wednesday.
The nine-month long string of crimes by Joseph Putre began when he used a knife on April 25 to rob a Shirley 7-Eleven at 1:45 a.m., police said.
Without his knife, he then robbed a Dunkin’ Donuts on May 10 at 2:07 a.m. in Shirley, they said.
Putre, again deploying a knife, then robbed a Shirley Quik Stop on May 14 at 1:19 p.m., police said.
A day later, he robbed Mastic Liquors at 12:40 p.m., they said.
Then, on Dec. 1, the defendant robbed a Dunkin’ Donuts in Copiague at 10:18 a.m., police said.
The defendant was expected to be arraigned on Wednesday in Central Islip, police said.