Crime & Safety
Would-Be Robber Arrested Shortly After Fleeing Scene: Police
Police say the man tried to rob two others on the street, but fled when they called 911.
A Queens man was arrested for a robbery in Valley Stream that occurred early Wednesday morning, Nassau police say.
According to police, patrol officers responded to call for a robbery near Merrick Road and Arlington Avenue around 1:50 a.m. Police say that a man approached to victims and demanded cash. When the victims refused, the man reached toward his waistband, implying that he had a weapon. The two victims called 911, and the man fled in a black Toyota 4Runner.
A description of the would-be robber and his car were given to officers. As the patrol officers were heading to the scene, they saw a car fitting the description of the robber's and pulled it over.
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Police investigated and then arrested the driver, Lawrence Smith, Jr., 46, of Laurelton. He is charged with two counts of third-degree attempted robbery and second-degree menacing. He is scheduled to be arraigned in First District Court in Hempstead on Thursday.
Photo courtesy Nassau County Police Department
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