3 charged in New Cassel laundry robbery
Mervin Lopez, 18, of 572 Jefferson St. and Edgard Platero, 18, of 414 Willow St., both Westbury, and Henry Melgar, 19, of 12 Dogwood Lane in New Cassel face second-degree attempted robbery charges in connection with an incident at the Laundry Giant Dry Cleaners at 183 Grant St., police said.
Police said the men entered the business at about 3:40 a.m. demanding cash from the sole attendant in the establishment, with Lopez gesturing as if he had a gun, though he did not show one.
They left the scene in a 2003 Nissan Altima when the attendant declined to give them any money, police said. The clerk was not hurt.
Third Precinct officers later found a car matching the description of the vehicle in front of Platero's home and arrested him and Lopez, police said. Lopez also faces a charge of unlawful possession of marijuana.
Melgar was arrested Thursday at his home.
Lopez and Platero were arraigned Thursday in First District Court in Hempstead and Melgar is scheduled to be arraigned there Friday.
'If you don't address demand, you don't address the problem' Police are only addressing the supply, but demand is what fuels the illicit sex trade, experts say. Newsday political reporter Bahar Ostadan has the story.
'If you don't address demand, you don't address the problem' Police are only addressing the supply, but demand is what fuels the illicit sex trade, experts say. Newsday political reporter Bahar Ostadan has the story.
