A suspected Bronx burglar has been arrested for allegedly being responsible for 22 burglaries across New York City and Long Island, police said. Those include robberies that occurred in a span of four hours during which he broke into nine businesses in the middle of a snowstorm.
Authorities said new surveillance video shows 18-year-old Richard Morgridge in the act, as footage from just part of a day-long spree showed two men breaking doors or windows to get into various Nassau County businesses.
The break-ins occurred during the early morning hours of a January snowstorm, when nine businesses in Mineola and Carle Place were robbed. The suspected thief stole nearly $4,000 in each robbery, according to police, as video from a store showed the couple banging on a cash register.
Hector Carbalhl’s Mineola restaurant lost about $600.
“Actually, we were outside the whole time, shoveling snow,” Carbalhl said. “He knew what he was doing. He was probably planning this for months.”
Morgridge was arrested and charged at the time, which police say continued after he was released without bail following the robbery arrests in New York. Some say New York’s bail reform law is to blame for the crime spree.
“Why would they stop? Why would anyone stop if they’re not going to jail?” said Harold Rothlin, one of the Nassau County robbery victims.
According to police, Morgridge was released without bail after committing four robberies in New York City on Jan. 2. The teen allegedly committed all nine burglaries in Nassau County and four more in New York City before being arrested on March 11. Once again, he was released without bail.
“This just illustrates again how people are committing crime after crime because of this bail reform law, which is nothing more than a get out of jail card,” said Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.
Advocates of bail reform say cases like this are the aberration, not the norm, pointing to data showing the vast majority of those released without bail commit no other crimes.
After his latest arrest, bail for Morgridge was set at $20,000.
A second suspect, who was also seen on videos during the robberies, remains at large. Nassau County Police have not commented on their investigation of him.
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