Lake Ronkonkoma Bank Robbed, Sachem Schools Locked Down

LAKE RONKONKOMA (TheMatadorOnline.com) - Suffolk County Police Major Case Investigations Unit detectives have made an arrest in a Lake Ronkonkoma bank robbery that had placed the Sachem School district in a modified lockdown much of Thursday.

Police say a man entered the bank, located at 395 Portion Road, and approached a teller with a note that demanded cash and threatened the use of a gun if the teller did not comply. The teller complied with the robber’s demands and gave him cash and a dye pack from the drawer. The robber fled the bank and was seen getting into a white vehicle that was parked in front of the bank. The robber was observed throwing the activated dye pack from the vehicle. The vehicle was last seen northbound on Hans Boulevard.

Major Case Investigations Unit detectives charged Clark, the driver of the vehicle involved in the robbery, with one count of Robbery 3rd Degree. The man who went into the bank and demanded cash is still at large.

Clark, 41, of 559 Rosevale Ave., will be held overnight at the Seventh Precinct in Shirley and will be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on March 20.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. All calls will remain confidential.

Three People Arrested for Burglary

Suffolk County Police have arrested three people for burglarizing homes in Lake Ronkonkoma and Lake Grove.

The burglaries occurred earlier this month during daylight hours when the residents were not home. The proceeds included cash, jewelry and electronics and were then sold at various locations within the nearby community.

Arrested and charged with two counts of Burglary 2nd Degree were:
· Albert Fernandez, 21, of 7 Melissa Court, Lake Grove
· Victoria Doyle, 18, of 7 Melissa Court, Lake Grove
· Melissa Haines, 17, of 2 Seawanhaka Ave., Nesconset

Doyle and Haines were also charged with Criminal Possession of Stolen Property. The suspects were arraigned on February 14. They are currently being held at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility in Riverhead awaiting further court action.

Fourth Squad detectives are continuing the investigation.