Crime & Safety

Drugs-Related Robbery in Garden City Park

An 18-year-old Garden City Park woman helped facilitate this incident.

Two people were robbed in a drug transaction gone wrong that was facilitated by a Garden City Park woman on Sunday at 11:55 p.m. in Garden City Park, according to a police report.

Benjamin Zohar, 24, and Kathryn Chao, 19, both of Albertson, met Heather Steele, 18, of Garden City Park in that area for drugs, the report said. The car they were in was approached by three men: Jose Lopez, 22, Jonathan Mercedes, 18, both of the Bronx and Jonathan Vasquez, 20, of Yonkers. Steele ran from the scene; Lopez pointed a gun at Zohar and demanded his wallet; and Mercedes and Vasquez took $500, some personal belongings of Chao and a backpack that had more than a pound of marijuana. The three were driven away from the robbery by Jorge Frias, 21, of the Bronx.

The car the four men drove off in was pulled over near Jericho Turnpike and South 5th Street in New Hyde Park and the four were arrested, the report said. It was later determined that Steele helped plan and assist in the robbery and she was subsequently arrested.

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Lopez, Mercedes, Vasquz, Frias and Steele were charged with two counts of second degree robbery and Lopez was also charged with third degree criminal possession of a weapon. Zohar and Chao were charged with second degree criminal sale of marijuana.


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