Police: Man Charged In Nail Salon Burglary Spree On Long Island

SOUTH FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A suspect has been charged in connection with a string of nail salon burglaries on Long Island.

Francisco Leboy, 55, was arrested on three counts of burglary and an attempted burglary charge, Nassau County police said.

The burglaries began on September of last year. In each case, police said the suspect removes the lock cylinder on the front door to get into the business.

"It involves either punching out the key lock cylinder or pulling it out, manipulating the kind of internal mechanism that opens the door," Chief Kevin Smith told WCBS 880's Sophia Hall. "So you really don't have to break glass in order to get into the building."

The first one happened on Sept. 18 when an unknown amount of cash was taken from Dee Dee's Nail Salon on Main Street in South Farmingdale, police said.

Then on Nov. 5, money was stolen from the Rainbow Nail Salon on Main Street in Farmingdale, police said.

Rainbow Nail Salon owner Lucy Chen can still recall the shock several months ago when she went to open her small business, only to find the lock missing.

"I open the door, in the lock, there's a hole. I said, 'My God, my store,'" Chen told TV 10/55's Long Island Bureau Chief Richard Rose.

"Cash was taken in all the incidents and one laptop was taken at one of the locations," Smith said.

Two months later on Jan. 11, the Lucky Nail Salon in Hempstead was broken into and an undisclosed amount of cash was taken from the store, police said.

Police said Leboy would noiselessly push in the front door lock without breaking any glass.

"It can be done with numerous small tools that he can walk the street with in his pocket, some type of punch device, maybe a small hammer," Smith said.

The most recent incident happened on March 12. In that case, police said the suspect returned to the Rainbow Nail Salon in Farmingdale and tried to tamper with the lock, but couldn't get in and fled the scene.

Police said there have been 16 push-in lock burglaries in the last few months in Farmingdale, Bellmore, East Meadow, Massapequa, Hempstead, and Bethpage.

The chief said they are investigating to see if Leboy is responsible for any other burglaries. He is set to be arraigned on Thursday in Hempstead.

Meanwhile, neighboring businesses said they're worried about the impact on nervous customers.

"It's very bad, we are neighbors. Especially something like this, it's not good for business," Haritel Rana of Main Street Discount said.

Police said Leboy is on disability with a record for past burglaries and drugs.