Beginning in early May of this year, the Garden City community began to experience numerous larcenies from autos while parked in driveways overnight. Residents would return to their cars in the morning and would find their car windows shattered and property removed. Intensive patrol was initiated by the uniformed officers working the area. Information also indicated that the surrounding communities were experiencing the same crimes. The items being taken were money, wallets and pocketbooks left in the cars in plain sight.

A joint investigation was initiated by Detectives from the Garden City Police Department and the Nassau County 3rd Sqd. With the help of Detectives from the Intelligence Section a pattern was developed. Further investigation revealed that immediately after these larcenies, the subject would use the stolen credit cards and purchase metro tickets from machines at various LIRR railroad stations. Detectives from the MTA police were contacted and assisted.

In addition, Garden City Police Officers and Detectives discovered that not only were metro tickets being purchased, but the subject had also purchased cartons of cigarettes from a local 7/11. Surveillance tapes were reviewed and an unidentified subject was seen making the purchase. The store clerk was interviewed and he provided information that after the purchases the subject would get on a westbound train. An intelligence bulletin was prepared containing the pictures and distributed to law enforcement agencies in an attempt to identify the subject.

Garden City Detectives then began to monitor the LIRR train Stations in Garden City. Train schedules were obtained and the trains were met as they entered the station. Surveillance of all persons entering or exiting the train was conducted.

On Early Thursday morning on July 3rd, Garden City Detectives Rothermel and Madden of the Garden City Police Department were monitoring the arriving trains into Garden City. At approximately 3 am, the subject was seen exiting a train at the Nassau Boulevard Station. With the assistance of patrol officers, the subject was stopped and placed under arrest. During the arrest processing, the detectives were able to close 23 cases in Garden City and numerous others in the Nassau County 3rd Precinct jurisdiction. The subject, who was identified as David Murphy age 17, is from Central Islip. However he has recently been living in Jamaica Queens.

The subject was charged with 10 felony counts of Grand Larceny. He was also charged with Burglary, Possession of burglar's tools, and several larcenies from Nassau County 3rd Pct cases. The MTA police also lodged a bench warrant for the subject. The subject was transported to Nassau County Detention pending arraignment at First District Court.