Cops: Burglars arrested after tailgating cop

Three Hempstead men were arrested after a canine officer responding to the scene of a burglary in progress in North Bellmore Thursday stopped a suspicious vehicle that had been tailgating her unmarked patrol unit, police said.

The trio were arrested when the car stopped near the intersection of Wantagh Avenue and Flower Avenue in Wantagh at about 2 a.m. Nassau County police said the officer noted one of the suspects was "sitting on electronic equipment" and said "a large screen television" set was seen in the trunk of the car.

A subsequent investigation tied the items in the car to the North Bellmore burglary, police said.

The driver of the 2002 Hyundai, Richard Santiago, 20, of 10 Washington St., and passengers Jose Valle, 17, of 20 Villa Court, and Jorshua Matheu-Lopez, 20, of 35 Robson Place, were arrested at the scene, police said.

Matheu-Lopez was charged with second-degree burglary, while Valle was charged with second-degree burglary, fifth-degree and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Santiago was charged with second-degree burglary and numerous vehicle and traffic law violations, police said.

All are scheduled for arraignment Friday in First District Court in Hempstead.

Police said that in addition to the television and electronic equipment, "multiple bags" of a substance "believed to be cocaine" were found on Valle.

The burglary in progress was reported at a home on Jerusalem Avenue in North Bellmore and the officer said that, in addition to the Hyundai tailgating her vehicle, the car also attempted to pass her unmarked car on the right-hand shoulder of the road "several times," police said.