Nassau County Police Say Suspect Arrested In So-Called Distraction Burglary In Herricks
HERRICKS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – A Maryland man has been arrested in connection with a so-called distraction burglary in Nassau County.
Frank Nicholas, 27, was arrested Wednesday and charged with second-degree burglary, police said. He is set to be arraigned on Thursday.
Back on June 20, police said a man wearing a yellow construction hat and vest knocked on the door of a home on Pine Street in Herricks and told the elderly homeowner that he was a National Grid employee.
He told the victim there was a gas explosion nearby and needed to check the water in the house, police said.
The victim was told to turn on the faucet in the kitchen while the suspect went into a bathroom near the master bedroom, police said.
After about 20 minutes, he left the house and that's when the homeowner discovered her jewelry was missing, police said.
Police believe Nicholas may have committed other similar burglaries in the area and are asking others who may have been victimized to contact them.
"If we show his picture, hopefully, maybe some other victims will come forward and maybe they'll be some other charges down the line," Chief of Detectives Kevin Smith said. "He may have hit people that still don't even know that they were hit or that the crime was committed. A lot of times these crimes aren't discovered until hours afterwards, sometimes days afterwards, sometimes weeks afterwards."
Nicholas was working with an accomplice who is still at large, police said.
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