Crimes Nearby: 2 Arrested for Bank Robbery Conspiracy

Long Beach

Police arrested two homeless men they say acted together to last week. David Traversa, 19, and George Armstrong, 20, were arrested on Saturday for a robbery at at about 12 p.m. on June 8.

The Long Beach Police Department detective division and Nassau County Police Department robbery squad investigated the incident and arrested and charged Traversa with second-degree robbery after he was taken into custody in Baldwin at about 2:50 p.m. Saturday.

Based on a further investigation, police arrested and charged George Armstrong with second-degree robbery at the Capri Hotel, at 5 Freer St. in Lynbrook, at about 7:30 p.m. on May 9.

According to the LBPD, Armstrong walked into the bank and approached a teller at a window, demanded that the teller put money on the counter, left with an undetermined amount of cash and fled on foot eastbound on East Fulton Street.

“Armstrong entered the bank and made a verbal demand for the cash, and Traversa stayed outside and served as a lookout,” Sgt. Eric Cregeen, the department’s public information officer, told Patch.

Both suspects took a taxi to and from the bank, but the driver was not a party to the crime. “He was just waiting for one of the guys as the other guy was looking out and had the cab waiting,” he said about the driver. 

Traversa and Armstrong were arraigned in on Monday and will be held on $30,000 bail. The LBPD declined to reveal the amount of money that was robbed from the bank.

Huntington

David Sperling from Central Islip was arrested in Huntington Station for stalking.

Eric Knox from Brooklyn was arrested in Huntington for criminal contempt.

James Carty from Copiague was arrested in Huntington for rape of a victim under 17 years of age. 

New Hyde Park

The on Jericho Turnpike in New Hyde Park was robbed Mond

ay afternoon. According to police, a Caucasian man about 40 years old, 6’ tall, wearing a green camouflaged t-shirt and a dark baseball cap with a Mercedes Benz logo, entered the bank at about 1:08 p.m. and presented a demand note to a teller.

Garden City Park

Nassau County Police have apprehended a man reportedly responsible for several burglaries in Garden City Park which occurred on June 7. Steven Wohnsigl, 49, of Hicksville, allegedly broke into homes on Birchwood Drive and Morris Drive in Garden City Park as well as Betty Road in Garden City.

Riverhead

Over 40 Riverhead school buses were broken into and vandalized last week.

According to Riverhead School Superintendent Nancy Carney, on Thursday night, several individuals broke into the buses and allegedly discharged fire extinguishers, painted graffiti, and damaged electrical and mechanical systems.

Riverhead Town Police responded to the report of multiple criminal mischiefs and larcenies and arrested Terrance Pertillar, 19, of Riverhead and a 17 year old male from Riverhead. Later on Friday, Sergio Gonzalez, 18, of Riverhead, was also arrested. All were charged with criminal mischief in the second degee, criminal trespass, and petit larceny.

West Babylon

Suffolk police arrested a Copiague man last week on charges of  robbing two local banks and attempting to rob two others.

Vitaliy Vershov, 27, of Copiague, was arrested outside of his home last evening following an investigation by Suffolk County Police detectives. According to the police, Vershov entered the West Babylon HSBC on Route 109 on May 17 and demanded money from a teller. He then fled with an undisclosed amount of cash.

On May 30th, detectives say he entered a Bank of America location in Copiague and gave a teller a note stating he needed money or his daughter would be killed. He fled the location, however, without cash. About an hour later, Vershov entered the Copiague Chase on Sunrise Highway and presented a similar note demanding money or his daughter's life would be threatened. He also left this bank without cash. On June 4th, detectives said Vershov entered the Bay Shore Chase location and handed a note to the teller, who refused to give him any money before he fled.