Hempstead robbery suspect tied to home, jewelry store break-ins, police say

A Hempstead man faces arraignment Thursday, after he was charged with the July armed robbery of a Verizon store as well as two burglaries last year, police said.

Nassau County police said Major Case Bureau detectives arrested Latise Eady, 27, on Wednesday and said he was charged with second-degree robbery and two counts of second-degree burglary. He is scheduled for arraignment Thursday in First District Court in Hempstead.

It was not clear if he was represented by an attorney.

Police said that, according to Burglary Pattern detectives, Eady entered the Verizon store at 13 Front St. in Hempstead at about 4:35 p.m. July 29, displayed a handgun and ordered employees and customers to the floor. One employee was forced to open a safe and police said Eady took Apple iPhones from that safe and fled.

A subsequent investigation by Garden City detectives and Third Squad detectives determined Eady also had burglarized a Hempstead residence and a jewelry store on Franklin Avenue in Garden City, police said.

During the residential break-in, which occurred on Sept. 11, police said Eady took "miscellaneous items and clothing." Police said he also stole "assorted jewelry" during an Oct. 9 burglary at the H.L. Gross and Bros. Jewelers store at 840 Franklin Ave.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

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.”