Police: 3 Men Attacked In Frightening 1-Hour Free-For-All In Freeport
FREEPORT, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Police are trying to determine whether three incidents that occurred Sunday night in Freeport are related.
The robbery and attempted robberies happened in a one-hour span, 1010 WINS' Carol D'Auria reported.
In the first incident, a 51-year-old man was attacked by three men on bicycles at around 10:50 p.m. on Davis Avenue and Dutchess Street, police said.
1010 WINS' Carol D'Auria reports
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The victim was punched in the face and robbed of cash before running to a nearby residence, police said.
One of the suspects followed the man but was scared off when motion lights on the house were set off, police said.
All three suspects fled on foot, leaving their bikes at the scene, police said.
At around 11:15 p.m., two suspects walked up behind a 62-year-old man in an alley near Commercial Street and repeatedly beat him over the head with a wooden stick during an attempted robbery, police said.
The suspects ran off and the victim was taken to the hospital with lacerations to his head and face, police said.
At 11:50 p.m., a 34-year-old man was attacked during an apparent attempted robbery by two suspects on Southside Avenue and Sportsman Avenue.
The man was stabbed four times in the torso by one of the suspects as he tried to wrestle a gun away from the other suspect, police said.
The victim managed to break free and run to a nearby house where he called police. He sustained a laceration to his liver and a partially collapsed lung in the attack, police said. He is listed in serious but stable condition.
"Based on the location of the crimes, the time frame between the crimes, commonality of the victims, we believe that they could be related," said Nassau County Police Lt. Robert Galgano.
Residents are understandably concerned.
"Because of my wife and daughter, it's very frightening," homeowner Orlandoo Woolard told CBS 2's Jennifer McLogan, adding when asked if he had a message for the attackers, "Yeah, just stop it."
"You should think about it as your own family and own loved ones, think about someone doing it to them," Rene Afflick said in a plea to the attackers. "These things do eventually catch up to you. And you will be caught."
"It's shocking to me. Where they came from, where they run to, I don't know. But this is a safe place to live so let's hope they'll be able to catch whoever's responsible," Valroy White said.
Ray Rodriguez is a local youth counselor and said he has a possible theory to explain the violence.
"There's been a lot of programs that have been cut, and a lot of these kids out there are just in the streets because the economy is so bad," Rodriguez said.
Police do not believe the incidents are gang-related.
"They are out there. I don't know what their motives were, they are approaching people like this. They are armed. It is something we characterize as dangerous," Lt. Galgano said.
Police said there may be surveillance video of some of the attacks. They are asking local residents to be on the look out for a trio of young men wearing dark clothing and armed with knives, guns and wooden clubs.
Detectives ask anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS.
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