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Video: Man Arrested For Stealing Pocketbooks Out Of Vehicles On Long Island

A Long Island man was taken into police custody after being caught on camera stealing pocketbooks from multiple vehicles at gas stations in Suffolk County over the past few weeks.

Zak Failla
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Ronkonkoma resident Craig Mastandrea, 47, was arrested early on Tuesday, Sept. 10 in Nesconset for eight alleged incidents where he stole pocketbooks from unsuspecting victims at area gas stations.

Police said that an investigation was launched on Saturday, Aug. 24, when a woman reported that her pocketbook had been stolen while pumping gas at Speedway Gas on Portion Road.

That investigation led police to Mastandrea, who allegedly would park his vehicle, and while pretending to get gas, remove the pocketbook from women’s vehicles.

Mastandrea stopped by police at approximately 9:40 a.m. on Tuesday, where he was arrested at the intersection of Smithtown Boulevard and Old Nichols Road in Nesconset.

It is alleged that Mastandrea committed larcenies on eight different occasions in Suffolk County:

  • Saturday, Aug. 24, Speedway Gas, located at 440 Portion Road, Ronkonkoma;
  • Thursday, Aug. 27, Speedway Gas, located at 370 Route 25A Miller Place;
  • Saturday, Aug. 31, Stop & Shop gas station, located at 2350 North Ocean Ave., Farmingville;
  • Monday, Sept. 2, Speedway Gas, located at 440 Portion Road, Ronkonkoma;
  • Monday, Sept. 2, Cumberland Farms gas station, located at 316 Smithtown Blvd., Ronkonkoma;
  • Monday, Sept. 2, BP Gas, located at 762 Smithtown Blvd., Nesconset;
  • Tuesday, Sept. 3, Cumberland Farms gas station, located at 316 Smithtown Blvd., Ronkonkoma;
  • Saturday, Sept. 7, BP Gas, located at 294 Smithtown Blvd., Nesconset.

Mastandrea was charged with seven counts of fourth-degree grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and petit larceny. He was held overnight and is scheduled to be arraigned in Central Islip federal court on Wednesday, Sept. 11.

In a video from the latest incident on Sept. 7, Mastandrea - wearing a sweatshirt and jeans - can be seen pulling up to a gas station pump in a silver pickup truck before making his way to a parked vehicle, entering the passenger’s side door and taking a pocketbook.

According to police, detectives are asking anyone with information or who may have been a victim to call the Fourth Squad at 631-854-8452.

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