Police
are investigating an uptick in gas station robberies across Nassau County.
An
East Meadow BP gas station on Hempstead Turnpike was first robbed on Dec. 11.
Police say there were two suspects. Victor Zavala, 28, was charged with
robbery.
Nassau
Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder says a second subject, who has not been
apprehended, placed a meat cleaver to the victim's face.
Surveillance footage from Dec. 11 robbery at BP gas station in East Meadow, showing suspect holding meat cleaver.
The
victim suffered lacerations to their face, finger and ear.
Police
say the same station was robbed three weeks later by three suspects wearing
masks.
"We
know it was twice, the same place," Ryder says. "Success breeds
confidence. They got it the first time, they went back a second time. That was
a mistake."
Surveillance
video of the robbery shows one suspect holding a handgun. A total of three
suspects, believed to include Zavala, fled after the robbery.
One
was found hiding nearby.
Police
have not arrested the other suspect and are working to link the two robberies
to three other robberies across Nassau.
Other
gas station robberies happened in North Wantagh and Baldwin.
There
is a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the remaining
suspect, who is described as 5 feet, 3 inches tall and in his 30s.