5 Men Arrested in Connection With Jewelry Store Robbery, Other Crimes

Police have arrested two Huntington Station men and three others this week for a string of Long Island crimes, including a December robbery at the A&D Jewelry Store in Huntington Station.

Third Precinct police arrested and charged Edwin Acosta-Martinez, 23, of 15 Ludlum St. in Huntington Station with six counts of first degree robbery, three counts of fourth degree criminal possession of a weapon, third degree criminal possession of a weapon; and Mario Chincilla Rodriguez, 23, of 170 East 23rd St. in Huntington Station, with three counts of first degree robbery.

A multi-unit police investigation led to the arrest of four of the men, all found in a grey 2000 Ford Mustang Feb. 29, and a fifth suspect in previous robberies. During the execution of a search warrant, weapons and proceeds from the Health Mart Pharmacy robbery were recovered, according to police.

Others arrested include Wilmer Velasquez-Cruz, 27, of 110 McKinley St., Brentwood; Jonathan Portillo, 16, of 246 Lincoln Ave., Brentwood; and Carlos Velasquez, 17, of 135 W. Bay Shore Rd., Bay Shore.

Three men robbed the A&D store Dec. 27 in Huntington Station . During the incident, one of the men struck the clerk, who was working alone, in the back of the head with a gun, according to police. The clerk refused medical treatment at the scene.

The robbery is consistent with six other armed incidents occurring in the various precincts since December 27, 2011, according to police.

On Feb. 28, four female employees were preparing to close the Health Mart Pharmacy in Bay Shore at approximately 8:55 p.m. when three armed masked men wearing gloves bounded the employees with zip ties before taking a large sum of cash from the store. Jewelry and cell phones were taken from employees, and a digital video recording machine used for surveillance was also stolen, according to police. No injuries were reported. 

Recent robberies have occurred at the following locations on Long Island:

• Dec. 30, 2011: Lempa Deli located at 189 Calebs Path, Central Islip
• Jan. 6: Off the Track Quick Mart located at 238 Deer Park Ave., Babylon
• Jan. 11: Iglesia Universal Church located at 1018 Suffolk Ave., Brentwood
• Jan. 26: Chapi Deli located at 139 W. Hills Road, Huntington Station
• Feb. 13: Mi Tierrita Restaurant located at 769 Suffolk Ave., Brentwood

Portillo was not involved in the Health Mart Pharmacy robbery, according to police.