LI Man Accused Of Stealing Over $3,000 From Vending Machines
NASSAU COUNTY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A Long Island man is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from vending machines across Nassau County.
Authorities said career criminal Cesar Cruz was caught after stealing from yet anther vending machine in the county, WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reported.
"Last night the police department received an alarm from a vending machine that it was being tampered with at Eisenhower Park and the defendant was stopped riding his bicycle in Uniondale," said Police Inspector Kenneth Lack.
Lack said the 56-year-old has broken into 32 vending machines, stealing more than $3,000 in cash and coins.
Cruz allegedly started stealing from vending machines on May 27 and has a long criminal past, Hall reported.
Along with the machine inside Eisenhower Park, the inspector said Cruz also broke into Garden City Middle School and stole from a vending machine. Lack said the entire incident was caught on surveillance video, which helped police identify Cruz.
Cruz is charged with six counts of burglary, grand larceny, nine counts of criminal mischief in the third-degree, one count of criminal mischief in the fourth-degree, petit larceny and possession of burglary tools.