Man Lifts Almost $500 Of Candy At Knifepoint From Bellerose 7-Eleven: PD

BELLEROSE TERRACE, NY — A 45-year-old homeless man was arrested Monday after police said he walked into a Bellerose Terrace 7-Eleven and took almost $500 worth of candy at knifepoint, police said.

Nassau County police said Derek Atwater entered the Jericho Turnpike 7-Eleven at 5:45 a.m., knife in hand and demanded cigarettes from a 23-year-old employee of the store. After he was refused the cigarettes, police said Atwater took about $492 in bagged candy from the store and walked out without paying.

Monday, police said they found Atwater as he was leaving a Dollar Tree on Jericho Turnpike with a reusable bag in hand. According to police, the manager of the Dollar Tree told officers that Atwater had taken things from the store, put them in the reusable bag and tried to walk out without paying.

Atwater was arrested Monday, and further investigation revealed that he had been responsible for four more grand larcenies that took place in August at the same Dollar Tree, police said. The 45-year-old man is now charged with first-degree robbery, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, second-degree menacing and five counts of petit larceny, police said. His arraignment was scheduled for Tuesday, police said.