Queens man charged with stealing $66G Rolex watch from Garden City shop
Costica Alexandru leaves Nassau Police headquarters to be arraigned on Tuesday in Mineola. Credit: Newsday/Howard Schnapp
A Queens man faces charges after taking a Rolex watch from a jewelry store in Garden City in July, police said.
Garden City police said Costica Alexandru, 27, was arrested following an investigation and charged with second-degree grand larceny and three counts of possession of a forged instrument.
Police said Alexandru entered Gross Jewelers on Franklin Avenue at about 4:20 p.m. on July 18, asking to look at multiple Rolex watchers. While the sales clerk was showing the merchandise with the display drawer open, police said Alexandru distracted him and pocketed a Rolex Platinum 40MM D-D watch valued at $66,750, then left the store without paying for it.
Additional details, including what led police to the suspect, were not immediately available.
Alexandru is scheduled to arraigned Tuesday in First District Court in Hempstead.
John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”
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