Crime & Safety

Police: Two Men Arrested in Armed Robbery Spree

Pair caught after off-duty Nassau cop follows them from scene of attempted robbery, police say.

Two men have been arrested and charged with robbing three Suffolk County businesses and attempting to rob three others over the past week, police said. 

Police said an off-duty Nassau County cop helped catch Thomas Leahey, of Ronkonkoma, and Joseph Salvia, of Commack, after employees at Stony Brook's Cool Monkey Desserts told the cop that the business had just been robbed by two men Sunday night. 

The Nassau cop followed the suspects from the scene and aided responding Suffolk County police officers in the apprehension of the men, police said. 

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Following an investigation, Leahey and Salvia were charged with three counts of first degree robbery for robberies at Tropical Smoothie Café at 532 Larkfield Road in East Northport on Feb. 1, at a Subway at 530 Route 111 in Hauppauge on Jan. 29 and at Beach Bum Tanning at 6168 Jericho Turnpike in Commack on Jan. 28. 

They were also charged with three counts of attempted robbery for incidents at Cool Monkey Desserts at 2184 Nesconset Highway in Stony Brook on Feb. 2, a Quiznos at 4611 Sunrise Highway in Bohemia on Feb. 2 and a Dunkin' Donuts at 560 Nesconset Highway in Smithtown on Feb. 1.

Find out what's happening in Sachemwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Leahey and Salvia were scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday at First District Court in Central Islip.


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