78-Year-Old Woman Helps Police Nab Man Who Stole Pocketbook at Gunpoint

EAST NORTHPORT (Suffolk County Police Department) - Suffolk County Police today charged a man with robbery after he robbed a mother and daughter at gunpoint at an East Northport Mall parking lot this afternoon.

The women, ages 49 and 78, were sitting in their vehicle in the parking lot of the Huntington Square Mall when a man opened the door, pointed a gun at them and demanded cash. The 49-year-old woman in the vehicle struggled with the robber and grabbed his gun. She subsequently let go of the gun and gave the robber her pocketbook at 1:45 p.m. The suspect, Christopher Norowski, fled on foot toward Route 25. The 78-year-old woman followed Norowski across Jericho Turnpike, where Norowski got into his minivan at a PC Richard & Son parking lot.

Suffolk County Deputy Sheriff John Hornick, on patrol in the area, was approached by a witness who said he saw a man with a pocketbook walking along Route 25 and thought it looked suspicious. Deputy Sherriff Hornick drove to the location and spotted the 78-year-old woman pursuing a minivan. The woman told Deputy Sherriff Hornick that the man in the minivan just stole her daughter’s pocketbook. The Deputy Sherriff stopped the van and arrested Norowski.

Further investigation revealed Norowski, 20, of 45 Meridian Ave., Kings Park, committed two similar robberies on March 8.

Second Squad detectives charged Norowski with robbing a man at gunpoint at the Huntington Square Mall, and MTA Police detectives charged Norowski in connection with a robbery that occurred at the Kings Park Long Island Rail Road station, where two people were robbed at gunpoint.

Norowski was charged with Robbery 1st Degree for each of these incidents. Norowski will be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on March 18.