The glaring lights of a Nassau County Police Department helicopter that was conducting a manhunt following a Village of Kings Point home invasion last Wednesday night shocked residents congregated on the Village Green along Middle Neck Road.
While watching a free screening of “The Muppet Movie,” Great Neck Park District acting Superintendent Peter Renick said the residents were left confused following the search for a burglar who Nassau County Police confirmed this week entered an unidentified Kings Point home on Stream Court.
“During the middle of the movie, the Nassau County police came in with their lights a-blazing and their helicopter with a spotlight in the area,” Renick said.
“It had nothing to do with us,” he added. “We were in the wrong place at the right time.”
Nassau County police spokesman James Imperiale said that at about 10:30 p.m. last Wednesday, officers were engaged in a search for an unidentified person who was involved in a home invasion at a residence on Stream Court in Kings Point.
As of press time on Wednesday no arrests had been made in relation to the home invasion, Imperiale said.
“Right now the third squad has the investigation,” the officer said. “It’s an ongoing investigation. (3rd Precinct detectives) did confirm to me the helicopters were up at that time. No arrest have been made at this time.”
Kings Point Police Department Lt. George Banville confirmed the manhunt and said that each of Great Neck’s four village police departments assisted county officers last week.
Along with Kings Point, the villages of Great Neck Estates, Kensington and Lake Success all operate their own police departments.
“We had a lot of officers looking for people,” Banville said. “They are always a big help.”
Imperiale declined any further comment on the case.
But a “burglary information” notice posted on the home page of the Village of Kings Point’s Web site provided additional insight surrounding the events of last week’s home invasion.
The posting said that Village of Kings Point police officers responded to the scene of an “occupied” burglary in which an unidentified person entered the unlocked front door of a residence at 8:30 p.m.
“During the initial investigation one subject was found and placed under arrest,” the burglary information notice said.
Imperiale declined further comment on the validity of the account described in the Village of Kings Point burglary information posting, except to deny that an arrest had been made in the incident.
“I was told there has not been an arrest made and that comes directly from the detectives involved in the investigation,” Imperiale said. “An arrest has not been made for the burglary.”
Banville said the information provided in the posting was accurate.
“I believe it went up pretty quick,” Banville said of the posting. “Usually they’re pretty timely about it. You can’t do it instantly because you don’t have all the information right away.”
Aside from confirming the accuracy of the village’s informational Web site posting, Banville declined further comment on the ongoing investigation.
“(Information is) very limited because we have a very strong investigation going on at this time,” Banville said.
The Village of Kings Point Police Department is now asking residents to keep their doors and windows locked and their security systems on at all times, Banville said.
“If you have alarm systems, use them,” the lieutenant said. “Even if these guys were caught right now you still need to lock your doors.”
Banville said any resident who witnesses suspicious activity should call the Kings Point Police Department at 516-482-1000.
Residents can also contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS.
“They said that they’re working on a very strong case and have strong evidence and that takes time,” Banville said of the county police department.
In February, an unidentified man broke into the home of an 82-year-old Village of Kings Point man by “pushing through” a locked door at the rear of the Rogers Road residence.
The intruder stole what police said were “a few” watches before being forced to leave the residence by its unidentified occupant.
Beginning in November of 2010, Kings Point and the Great Neck area became the scene of a series of home invasions. The most prominent of those instances involved an unidentified intruder breaking into the bedroom of a 15-year-old girl.
Police gave no indication this week that any of these home invasions were related.
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