An East Hills resident was struck in the face several times and robbed in her own driveway after she was followed home from Wheatley Plaza on Saturday night, Village of East Hills officials said.
“The car pulled up alongside her house, and there were two people in it,” Village of East Hills Deputy Mayor Manny Zuckerman said. “One person jumped out quickly and went around a bush. She got out of her car and started to walk to the back door, when the one person jumped her, put her hand around her throat, and demanded her ring.”
Zuckerman said the victim was struck in the face multiple times during the struggle and refused to surrender the ring initially, but gave in when the suspect threatened to stab her.
The suspect then grabbed the victim’s purse and fled in a car, Nassau County police said.
Nassau County police said they are searching for a suspect, described as being 5’8”-5’11” and wearing a dark colored hoodie.
Zuckerman said police reviewed video footage from the Stop & Shop located in the Wheatley Plaza shopping center to help identify the two assailants.
He said when he arrived on the scene at 6 p.m. police and investigators were already at the residence.
Police reported that the robbery occurred at 5:32 p.m.
Village of East Hills Mayor Michael Koblenz sent out an e-mail informing residents of the incident at 7:18 p.m. the same night.
The robbery was the second incident in as many weeks in East Hills.
A burglar discovered at a house on Wildwood Lane in East Hills escaped police last Saturday after a brief struggle, setting off a manhunt involving police in cars and in foot as well as in a helicopter.
Nassau County police said they discovered the burglar — described as a black male — hiding on the floor of a bedroom after responding to a home alarm and finding the rear door of the home open.
The suspect, who was unarmed, resisted arrest and “attempted to take one officer’s weapon,” police said.
After a continued struggle, police said, the suspect broke free and fled the home.
Police are still seeking the intruder.
Zuckerman, who was on the village’s security commission for more than 30 years, urged residents to remain aware during this time of year to help prevent similar incidents.
“Its very important that people are vigilant in terms of what’s going on around them as far as their surroundings especially with an incident like this where somebody is following the car,” he said. “Around this period of time, it’s the holidays and historically there has been increase in crime during that time.”
The village works closely with the Nassau County police and maintains a public safety force as a visual deterrent and keep a look out for any violations or residents requiring assistance, Zuckerman said.
Village of East Hills trustees were scheduled to get a report from a Nassau County Police Inspector on the two incidents at its board meeting Wednesday, according to the email from Koblenz.
“The important thing is to create a certain amount of responsibility and awareness for our residents,” Zuckerman said. “You cannot totally eliminate crime no matter where you are, but what you can do is try to keep it at a very minimal.”
