Wheatley Heights Man Arrested In Credit Card Swipes From Cars: PD

OLD BROOKVILLE, NY — A Wheatley Heights man pulled over in a traffic stop on Saturday has been linked to a series of car break-ins in Old Brookville, Old Westbury, and Old Bethpage, including a smash-and-grab where he stole the car owner’s credit card and tried to make a purchase at Walmart, Nassau County police said.

Detectives said that just before 1 p.m. Old Brookville police officers stopped a 2000 Honda Passport with “excessive window” tinting that was driven by Andre Berube, 43, on Route 107, near Route 25A because he failed to signal he was making a turn. The sport utility vehicle was found to have a forged license plate and Berube had a second forged plate inside the car as well, police said.

Officers were “aware of numerous open cases” involving thefts from cars, and during an investigation by Second Squad detectives, Berube was found to be “responsible” for breaking into a 2020 Jeep in a parking lot on Route 106 in Old Brookville last Saturday, police said. Berube tried to use the Jeep owner’s credit card at Walmart in Commack, police said.

A joint investigation by Nassau County police, the Old Westbury and Old Brookville police departments found Berube was responsible for three other breakins in Nassau, including a smash-and-grab in Old Brookville last Monday, police said.

Berube shattered the window of a 2009 Ford on Hegemans Lane before making off with money, “miscellaneous property,” and credit cards — one of which was used to make a purchase at Walmart in Westbury, police said.

Berube took a credit card from a 2020 Mercedes-Benz on Store Hill Road in Old Westbury, and he tried to use it at AutoZone in Bay Shore on Wednesday, police said. On Friday, Berube shattered the window of a 2019 Jeep on Winding Road in Old Bethpage and stole multiple credit cards and a purse, police said.

Berube is charged with third-and fourth-degree grand larceny, two counts of second-degree possession of forged instrument, three counts of fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, and third-degree criminal mischief, police said.

He was additionally charged with three counts of petit larceny, two counts of fourth-degree criminal mischief, two counts of second-degree identity theft, two counts attempted petit larceny, two counts of second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation, and multiple traffic violations, police said.

He was scheduled for arraignment on Sunday in Mineola, police said. If convicted, he faces up to seven years in a state prison based on the top felony charge of third-degree grand larceny.