Cops: Pair rob Merrick cellphone store

Nassau County police are hunting for two men who robbed a Merrick cellphone store at gunpoint on Friday and are investigating whether the crime may be related to a similar robbery in Rockville Centre earlier in the day.

In the Merrick robbery, police said the first suspect entered the AT&T store, at 235 Sunrise Hwy., shortly before 8 p.m. and approached two male employees, ages 29 and 22, with a black handgun.

The workers were forced to the back of the store and tied up. A second suspect then entered the store and stole an undetermined amount of cash from a register as well as a host of cellphones. The employees were not injured.

Nassau police are investigating whether the suspects may have also robbed an AT&T Wireless store on Sunrise Highway in Rockville Centre at 12:20 p.m. Friday. In that robbery, cash and cellphones were also taken although the suspects were not tied up.

The first suspect is described as weighing about 160 pounds, wearing a dark-brown hooded sweatshirt, a black ski jacket, black pants, black boots, black gloves and a dark-colored mask.

The second subject is described as roughly 200 pounds, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, a dark-colored jacket, blue jeans and dark-colored boots.

Anyone with information regarding these robberies can contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 800-244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous.