E. Hills homes hit with spate of burglaries

Bill San Antonio

Four recent burglaries in the Village of East Hills – including three that took place on Friday – have put officials and police on alert for suspicious activity.

Village of East Hills Mayor Michael Koblenz issued a Message From the Mayor e-mail to residents on Saturday notifying them of burglaries that took place on Arbor Drive and Westwood Circle in Westwood, on Chestnut Drive in Country Estates and on Woods Drive in Lakeville Estates.

Each burglary, Koblenz wrote, took place between noon and 8:30 p.m. when residents were not home. In three of the four burglaries, residents either did not have alarm systems or had alarms that were not working properly. The intruders, he wrote, entered the residences through the backyards.

Koblenz wrote that the village is assisting Nassau County Police in its investigation by implementing additional patrol cars from its public safety department, adding that residents who observe suspicious behavior call 911 and then public safety at 516-484-7052.

“Together with the police we continue to make this situation our highest priority in order to ensure safety and security in our community,” Koblenz wrote.  

Inspector Sean McCarthy, commanding officer of the Nassau County Police Department’s 3rd Precinct, said Monday the burglaries are still under investigation but officers are seeking additional links between them rather than the geographical proximity and the time each took place.

He said that 3rd Precinct officers patrol the village twice a day between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. and have stopped motorists to interview them about whether they’ve observed any suspicious activity.

“It’s still pretty early in the process, but Mayor Koblenz likes to stay informed and let his residents know if we’ve heard anything,” McCarthy said. “It’s a shared enterprise, so it’s helpful to us that residents are aware of it and to call 911 if they see anything out of the ordinary.”

To prevent against future burglaries, Koblenz suggested residents fortify their homes by locking all doors and windows and using light-timers on interior and exterior lighting to “create the illusion of occupancy” even if one isn’t home. 

He wrote that residents should set alarm systems before leaving their homes and place alarm company signs near their front doors and alarm stickers on windows.

“Make sure that your home is fully secured with windows closed and locked before you go to sleep and items, such as ladders, have been stored inside. Prepare a plan to vacate your home in case of any emergency,” Koblenz wrote. This should include, but is not limited to, a fire. Have a plan if an intruder tries or gets into your home.”   

Koblenz also suggested that residents going out of town ask neighbors to pick up mail and newspapers, oversee lawn care and even encourage them to park in an empty driveway and make regular checks on the home. 

The burglaries come a few months after a series of burglaries that took place in homes and unlocked cars within the nearby Village of Munsey Park in Manhasset and Village of Flower Hill, which is partially located in Roslyn.

Police in December also identified several carjackings in Nassau County that could have been linked to a larger pattern of similar crimes throughout the tri-state area.

In mid December, a man driving a 2013 Land Rover through the Village of Flower Hill was allegedly hit from behind by a sport utility vehicle whose passengers then robbed him and stole the vehicle at gunpoint when he got out of the vehicle to inspect the damage. The vehicle was later recovered unoccupied in Queens.

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