LI CRIME BRIEFS

BETHPAGE/Man distracts resident while partner steals cash

Eighth Squad detectives are looking for a man who pulled off a deception burglary in Bethpage, taking cash and jewelry from an 84-year-old homeowner, Nassau police said.

The homeowner answered a knock at his side door about 2:15 p.m. Wednesday and started talking to a man who told the victim he had just purchased a house directly behind the victim, Nassau County police said.

The homeowner invited the man inside, and they spoke for about five or 10 minutes, near a window at the back of the house, police said. The suspect then left.

Police believe that as the two men talked at the rear of the house, an accomplice entered the unlocked front door and stole an unspecified amount of cash and the jewelry.

The victim did receive a phone call from a neighbor, a woman, who told him a man fitting a description of the suspect had knocked on her door earlier in the day but she did not answer, police said.

Anyone with information on the incident can call Crime Stoppers at 800-244-8477.

-- Gary Dymski

LYNBROOK/Suspect in armed robbery at smoke shop arrested

One of the two men police said robbed a smoke shop in Lynbrook at gunpoint in November 2009, tying up an employee, was arrested yesterday at his home in Queens.

Roger E. Earl, 51, was arrested by Fifth Squad detectives, the police Fugitive Squad and the Federal Task Force Fugitive Squad at his home on 57th Avenue in Corona at 6:35 a.m.

The second suspect is being sought, police said.

Police said Earl and his accomplice entered Smoker's Choice on Sunrise Highway just before 4 p.m. on Nov. 21, 2009, produced a handgun and restrained an employee with plastic ties. The two men then stole cash and five cartons of cigarettes before fleeing.

The victim, who was not injured, managed to free himself and call 911, police said.

Earl was charged with first-degree and second-degree robbery and is scheduled for arraignment at a future date.

-- John Valenti

SAYVILLE/Two men sought in theft of hair-growing drug

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and the Fifth Precinct Crime Section are looking for two men who stole a hair-growth topical drug from a Sayville CVS pharmacy store in December, police said yesterday.

Police released photographs of the suspects taken from surveillance cameras at the CVS at 270 Main St.

About 8:45 p.m. on Dec. 17, the two men entered the store, put three boxes of Rogaine, about $150 worth, in a gift bag and left without paying, police said.

-- Gary Dymski

HUNTINGTON STATION/Cops: Woman arrested after leaving toddler in car

A Massapequa mother was arrested yesterday after police said she left her 18-month-old in a locked car as she shopped in a Huntington Station store.

Stella Wu, 28, of Club Drive, was arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child after Suffolk County police said she returned to the car as Second Precinct officers were attempting to gain entry to the 2010 Toyota Prius in the parking lot of Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Police said the toddler was in the car alone for at least 10 minutes in the incident that occurred at 9:49 a.m., police said.

-- John Valenti