Suffolk Man Charged In Two-Month Crime Spree, Including Robbery: Cops

MEDFORD, NY — A Medford man was charged Saturday with multiple felonies for a series of unrelated crimes, including a gas station robbery, bolting from a police officer, a home burglary, and the theft of two catalytic converters between October and December, Suffolk police said.

James O’Brien was arrested after 5th Squad detectives received information through the Crime Stoppers program about a gas station robbery in Yaphank on Nov. 2, police said.

In November police told Patch that a man approached a clerk inside of Speedway on Horseblock Road at about 2:30 a.m. and waved "what appeared to be a gun" before demanding some cash. The clerk gave over the cash and then the man ran away, police said.

The clerk was not injured during the robbery, according to police.

O'Brien's arrest was part of a joint investigation with Crime Section officers from the 5th and 6th precincts and 6th Squad detectives.

Police say O’Brien sped away in a car from an officer in Coram on Oct. 24. Police told Patch in November that an officer from the 6th Precinct saw a man speeding in an SUV and then crossing a double yellow line into oncoming traffic on Granny Road in Medford at about 5 p.m.

The officer tried to get the man to pull the vehicle over on eastbound Granny Road, near Prospect Avenue, but he drove away, police said, adding, that vehicle was described as a black Hyundai SUV with a Connecticut license plate containing the numbers 615 ZGU.

O'Brien is also responsible for stealing two catalytic converters on Lakeland Avenue in Ronkonkoma on Oct. 21, and then burglarizing a home on Lincoln Road in Medford nearly two months later on Dec. 15.

O’Brien, 45, was charged with first-degree robbery, third-degree grand larceny, fleeing an officer in a motor vehicle, and second-degree burglary.

He is being held at the 6th Precinct for arraignment at First District Court in Central Islip on Sunday.