Did Hammer Attack Suspect Attempt Another Break-In?
KINGS POINT, N.Y. (CBS 2) -- There are new fears on Long Island that a man suspected in at least six break-ins has tried to strike again.
On Wednesday night, a teenage girl talked about her close call with the would-be burglar, CBS 2's Sean Hennessey reports.
The latest break-in attempt happened in Kings Point. A 17-year-old victim heard the burglar outside her bedroom and bathroom windows.
"I heard some noises. When I walked into the bathroom, it really hit me when I heard the window," she said. "I felt like someone was trying to come in."
The suspect never got in, and instead took off, leaving behind a trail of footprints that disappeared.
A neighbor's security camera caught an image of the man walking away, and now police think he could be the same suspect tied to half a dozen Great Neck-area break-ins and attempted break-ins.
"Everything points to the fact that it fits the pattern," Nassau County Police Detective Lt. Kevin Smith said. "Is it 100 percent sure that it's the same guy? No, we can't say that."
Police said the suspect is a Hispanic man between 5-foot-2 and 5-7 with a slight build, a tattoo of a face on his bicep and possibly an injury or mark on his hand.
Neighbors in the area said they are concerned that the suspect is still out there, especially after police told last week's community meeting that they thought he'd left the area.
"I'm scared, I'm worried," resident Silvie Bassalian said.
"It's a sad thing, because you like to live in a safe area and everything," Mary Bardi said. "I still think it's a safe area."
"It's just a scary feeling knowing that this guy has been around, and hopefully they'll find him," the victim said.
Police said that can't come soon enough, considering the suspect is also wanted for an attack with a hammer in Hempstead -- and the rape of a 2-year-old in Texas.
Police are asking residents to make sure all ground-level doors and windows are locked, and to turn on outside lights at the first sound of noise.
