Police Believe Lindenhurst Armed Robbery May Be Linked To Long Island Crime Spree

LINDENHURST, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Police on Long Island believe a suspect tied to more than a dozen armed robberies may have struck again.

The latest incident happened just before 10 p.m. Wednesday in Lindenhurst. Police released surveillance video late Thursday.

Investigators believe the knife-wielding suspect, who has alluded police on Long Island for months, held up a Subway shop on Sunrise Highway, CBS2's Andrea Gyrmes reported.

Suffolk police said the suspect entered the store and threatened an employee.

"I'm scared, but it happened in the evening. The morning is safe," one worker told CBS2's Andrea Grymes Thursday.

Investigators believe the latest holdup is connected to a string of similar crimes in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Wednesday night's robbery came just hours after a police news conference about the search for the suspect. 

"We are very, very concerned," said Nassau County Det. Richard LeBrun. "He is becoming more brazen and he needs to be captured and apprehended by the police."

The recent string of robberies have other local employees on edge.

"Detectives came in and they quizzed us, they talked to us, everything about it," John Kremnitzer, who works overnight at a nearby 7-Eleven, told WCBS 880's Marla Diamond. "Hopefully they're going to protect us and look out for us."

"I was in shock. I haven't seen so many cops in my life," he told Grymes. "It's really scary."

The spree began in the beginning of March. Police say there have been 13 robberies in Nassau and including the latest incident, three robberies in Suffolk.

Around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, the thief allegedly entered a 7-Eleven in Westbury with  a large kitchen knife and ordered a clerk to empty the register.

Police said the same bandit also struck Tuesday morning at a Dunkin Donuts in Elmont.

According to police, the suspect typically strikes when there are no customers on premise, and will typically wait nearby the targeted location before robbing the store.

"He is very calm," LeBrun said. "He goes in, he's very methodical. He displays a knife, he goes right after the cash register and he goes right out the door. All this happens within 30 to 60 seconds."

The suspect is believed to be between 25-30 years old and is described as being 6'0″ tall and around 170 pounds, police said. The suspect was last seen wearing a dark-colored hooded jacket, blue jeans and tan work boots, with a dark-colored scarf or bandana over his face.

Anyone with information is asked to call police.

So far, no one has been hurt.