Man sought in gas station burglaries

Detectives in Suffolk County are looking for the public's help in identifying a burglar whose face was shielded by a distinctive hooded jacket festooned with some kind of insignia.

"We thought it might be military, camouflage or something like that, but it's probably not," Det. Sgt. Daniel Molloy of the Fifth Squad said Thursday. "It was so unique that no one here could figure it out."

Crime Stoppers has offered a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest, and asked anyone with information about the man or the burglaries to call 800-220-8477. All calls will be kept confidential, Crime Stoppers said.

Fuzzy pictures of the man were taken by interior surveillance cameras at gas stations and a Midas repair shop on Route 112 in North Patchogue and Medford that were burglarized around May 3 and 4, Molloy said. He took hundreds of dollars in cash and cigarettes valued at $1,000, Molloy said.

The man was described as about 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall, with a light mustache. A witness who saw him leave one of the burglarized properties told police he was in a dark sport utility vehicle and headed north on Route 112, Molloy said.