Cops: 2 men arrested in smash-and-grab thefts of lottery tickets in Hicksville

Two men have been arrested in connection with scratch-off lottery tickets that were stolen from at least one convenience store in Hicksville, according to the Nassau County Police Department.

The men, Justin Rodriguez, 22, of Bethpage, and Nicholas Arena, 21, of West Babylon, are charged with burglary, criminal mischief and four counts of criminal possession of stolen property, the department said in a news release.

There are additional charges against Rodriguez, including for criminal possession of a weapon in connection with an illegal 9mm ghost gun that allegedly was recovered from him, the release said.

According to police, burglars threw large rocks through the windows of two stores, entered through them and stole thousands of dollars' worth of tickets: One is a 7-Eleven on East Old Country Road, where $9,742 in tickets were taken, and the other is a Circle K on Bloomingdale Road, where $6,050 in tickets were taken.

On April 29, the release says, “both subjects scanned in the stolen lottery tickets at a business store” on Merritts Road in South Farmingdale. The release doesn’t say how the police identified Rodriguez and Arena as the men who sought to redeem the tickets, nor what happened to the tickets stolen 10 days later. The release also doesn’t say how the ghost gun was recovered.

The men are to be arraigned Thursday at First District Court in Hempstead, the release said. Neither could be immediately reached for comment.

By Matthew Chayes

matthew.chayes@newsday.comchayesmatthew

Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.