Serial truck battery thief nabbed in Yaphank, police say

An Islandia man caught trying to steal truck batteries Friday turned out to be the serial battery thief detectives had spent weeks looking for, Suffolk police said.

Dennis Kravette, 51, was arrested as he tried to strip batteries from tractor trailers at Atlas Van Lines and the RTI trucking company on Sills Road in Yaphank just after 1 a.m., police said.

Battery thefts — 14 incidences at seven locations — had been the focus of a weekslong investigation, police said. On Friday, police said Kravette was responsible for stealing 90 batteries and trying to take 14 more.

Kravette had been selling the batteries at recycling centers, police said.

Investigators in the property/auto crime unit charged Kravette with five felony counts of fourth-degree grand larceny, one count of fourth-degree attempted grand larceny, seven counts of petty larceny, six counts of second-degree auto stripping and seven counts of third-degree auto stripping.

Fifth Precinct detectives also charged him with two counts of fourth-degree degree grand larceny, one for another battery theft and the other for the theft of two credit cards, police said.

Kravette was being held overnight at the Fifth Precinct. He is to be arraigned Saturday.

CORRECTION: This story has been updated with the names of the companies from which the batteries were stolen.