7 arrested in drug deal setup

A drug deal turned robbery has resulted in seven arrests, police said Wednesday.

Nassau County police said those arrested included two Albertson residents who had agreed to sell marijuana, a Garden City Park teen who agreed to buy that marijuana, only to set up the alleged dealers, and four men -- three from the Bronx, the other from Yonkers -- who police said carried out the robbery, only to be caught by officers following a traffic stop as they fled.

The incident occurred late Sunday night in Garden City Park, police said. Police said Benjamin W. Zohar, 24, of Nassau Drive, Albertson, and Kathryn Chao, 19, of The Dell, Albertson, agreed to meet Heather Steele, 18, of Jericho Turnpike, Garden City Park, to sell the teen marijuana.

But as the trio made that deal in a car on Fifth Avenue in Garden City Park, three men -- Jose Lopez, 22, of Webster Avenue, the Bronx, Jonathan Mercedes, 18, of Morris Avenue, the Bronx, and Jonathan Vasquez, 20, of Caryl Avenue, Yonkers -- approached the car, police said.

Police said Lopez pointed a gun at Zohar and demanded his wallet. Then, Mercedes and Vasquez took a backpack containing more than a pound of marijuana, $500 in cash and "personal belongings" from Chao and fled, police said.

Police said Steele also ran.

Not long after the robbery, however, police said patrol officers on Jericho Turnpike at South Fifth Street in New Hyde Park stopped a car driven by Jorge Frias, 21, of Monterey Avenue, the Bronx. It was not clear if the traffic stop was the result of a 911 call reporting the robbery or a traffic violation.

Police said that an investigation turned up the stolen goods and the weapon and said that it also was determined that Steele "planned and assisted in the execution of the robbery."

She was arrested at her home Tuesday night, police said.

Lopez, Mercedes, Vasquez, Frias and Steele all were charged with two counts of second-degree robbery.

Lopez also was charged with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

Zohar and Chao were both charged with second-degree criminal sale of marijuana.

Lopez, Mercedes, Vasquez and Frias were all arraigned Monday. Zohar and Chao were arraigned Tuesday. Arraignment details were not immediately available.

Steele is scheduled for arraignment Wednesday in First District Court in Hempstead.