Cops arrest Oceanside Jewish Center worker in $20G theft of religious items

Religious artifacts valued at more than $20,000 were stolen from the Oceanside Jewish Center, said Nassau police, who arrested the temple's resident superintendent Monday.

Alexander Membreno, 30, who lived in a building on the temple's property at 2860 Brower Ave., was charged with two counts of third degree grand larceny. Detectives said Membreno pawned many of the items for cash at a local pawnshop, police said.

No information was released by police regarding whether any of the stolen artifacts had been recovered.

Membreno was to be arraigned Tuesday in First District Court in Hempstead.