After Sandy, Armed Looters Creating Fear For Garden City Residents
GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- In many areas without power, fear has set in as night falls.
Dozens of people are dealing with a one-two punch from the storm, and now armed looters are giving people something else to worry about.
On Monday night, the NYPD had its chopper up briefly, hunting for looters before fog forced them to land.
WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reports
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It has already happened to Marie Gillespie in Garden City. She had to board up her back door after an apparent looter burglarized her home last week.
"He broke a window and opened the door," Gillespie told CBS 2's Dick Brennan.
Across Third Street, Sally Schreier's home was also hit.
"He smashed in the door in the back. He used an ax," she said.
Police haven't filed charges in those break-ins, but they have a possible suspect, 46-year-old Artie Jackson. He has already been arrested and charged with a home invasion on the same street, on the same night.
Police said he terrorized a family by firing shots and then locking them in the basement.
Police said Jackson also broke in on a homeowner in Hempstead and fired a shot and in another case, broke into a woman's house in Garden City and assaulted her.
"He used a flex cuff, tightened it around her neck. The victim felt several times she was gonna pass out," said John Giambrone with the Nassau County Police Department.
Police said they will now use DNA to try to link Jackson to 12 other burglaries, including the aforementioned ones on Third Street. The victims in those cases said there may indeed be DNA.
"He just enjoyed being here, chewing on a cigar. He left the cigar, so there's your DNA right there," Schreier said.
"He ate cookies. He drank scotch," said Gillespie.
Police said they are continuing their investigation and may there may be more charges.
Police said nobody was seriously injured in the home invasions.
