Police confirm that the gunman who robbed a Hicksville gas station on Sunday was the same suspect wanted for carrying out 11 other gas station robberies around Nassau County since Dec. 20, 2014, including one that left a man dead.
Surveillance cameras were rolling as the gunman dressed in dark clothing and a hoodie held up Apple Green Gas Station on Newbridge Road at 6:30 p.m. Sunday. The suspect walked in and pointed a gun at the clerk, then walked behind the counter and emptied the register.
Police say the surveillance video from the latest incident marks the clearest images they have gotten to date of the suspect. Investigators say it has been a month since the robber last struck.
The 11 prior robberies linked in the case have targeted stations in Westbury, Hicksville, Jericho and East Meadow. In one of the incidents, gas station attendant Hany Awad was shot and killed.
Acting Nassau Police Commissioner Thomas Krumpter says catching the suspect is the department's No. 1 priority. He says a significant amount of resources have been devoted to the case, and says plainclothes officers are staking out locations throughout the county.
Police say they are also using the county's surveillance camera system to let investigators access security cameras for a real-time look at what is happening inside gas stations.
Most of the prior robberies happened between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m., but the latest one happened earlier in the evening. The Long Island Gas Retailers Association says it is telling all gas station owners to take precautions, like ensuring that surveillance cameras are working and keeping a low cash supply on hand.
A $35,000 reward is being offered in the case. Anyone who may have information is being urged to call Nassau Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS.