Armed Robbery Spree Across Multiple Counties
A series of violent armed robberies unfolded over a span of 17 days, with prosecutors alleging that a group of street criminals attacked areas in Long Island, New York City, Westchester, Dutchess counties, and even extended their reach to Florida.
A total of nine men, some reportedly linked to the Bloods gang, have been indicted on 38 counts related to a range of criminal activities conducted in both states last summer, including numerous car dealership heists, three armed robberies, home invasions, and various vehicle thefts.
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney expressed his astonishment at the sheer volume of criminal acts in such a brief period, remarking on how the suspects operated like a mobile theft ring, targeting auto repair shops to swipe cash, blank checks, keys, and license plates, which they altered to evade capture as they traveled from northern New York to the East Coast.
The operations started in July when the crew allegedly drove a stolen BMW M3 from Suffolk County to Westchester and smashed the windows of three auto repair shops in one night, making off with hundreds of dollars and roughly 200 blank checks.
Shortly after, two of the suspects reportedly robbed a Dutchess County store, stealing a white Chevrolet Suburban and then using it to rob another location in Poughkeepsie. During this robbery, they collected blank checks, 48 sets of New York license plates, and an entire safe containing $5,000 in cash.
On their return to Long Island, they detoured through Nassau County, where they allegedly broke a window at a Lamborghini dealership, triggering the alarm system, before fleeing without successfully stealing any vehicles.
From July 27 to July 29, the two men traveled to Florida, where they easily acquired firearms, which are more accessible there, before continuing their spree southward.
While in Florida, they allegedly obtained two guns, stole a Dodge Charger, and swapped its license plates with ones taken from an upstate store. On their way back north, they carjacked a BMW sedan but soon abandoned it after discovering it was a stick shift—an unfortunate snag, apparently, as they were unfamiliar with driving it.
Returning to New York, they stopped in Sleepy Hollow and reportedly broke into another auto repair shop before making their way back to Suffolk County.
Upon their return, the crew, perhaps feeling invincible, escalated their crime spree. Armed with guns acquired in Florida, they allegedly executed a home invasion at an Amityville apartment, stealing the keys to a Porsche SUV along with thousands of dollars in cash. Prosecutors noted that this stolen Porsche was later found abandoned in Queens.
In the following days, they allegedly targeted an auto shop in Deer Park, carjacked a woman outside her residence for her Mercury sedan, and attempted another break-in in Amityville.
The crime spree culminated on August 4 in Bay Shore, where five crew members were accused of breaking into a home at gunpoint and threatening a woman who was home alone, ultimately stealing around $4,700 in cash before law enforcement intervened and apprehended two of the suspects.
Among those arrested, 23-year-old Lenny Cruz from Brooklyn was found with a loaded .45-caliber handgun, $2,000 in cash, and a key chain from a Dodge Charger he had stolen in Florida. Authorities also recovered a Charger nearby, discovering several stolen New York license plates inside—these were reportedly the same ones taken from the Dutchess County auto shop earlier.
Officials stated that the group was responsible for nearly 20 distinct crimes across various counties and states in just over two weeks.
The nine individuals charged include Cruz, Edward Nunez (28), and Noel Santelises (21), all from Brooklyn, along with Harvin Parra (20), Jose Ramos (20), and Carlos Benitez Montoya (20) from Bay Shore, Justin Kenney (24) from Bohemia, Savion Jones (22) from Huntington, and Robert Salters (20) from Station and Wyandanch.
Some defendants face serious charges of first-degree robbery, which could result in up to 25 years in prison if convicted, while others are facing mainly theft and robbery-related charges.
