Police Seek Two Suspects in Smith Haven Mall Kiosk Theft

Two strangers walked out of Smith Haven Mall's Street Talk Kiosk at 8:10 p.m. on March 18 with stolen cell phone cases, and three weeks later, investigators still cannot put names to either face. The Suffolk County Police Department's Fourth Precinct Investigative Unit is now calling on the public to help close that gap.

The case, logged as CW 26-069 and overseen by Sgt. Todd Regan of the Fourth Precinct, became the subject of a wanted bulletin released April 6 in partnership with Suffolk County Crime Stoppers. Investigators confirmed the theft took place inside the Lake Grove mall and are seeking information about both a male and a female suspect seen at the kiosk that evening. No physical descriptions of either individual were included in the public bulletin.

Kiosk vendors occupy a particularly vulnerable position on the retail floor. Open on all sides with merchandise within easy arm's reach of passing foot traffic, phone accessory stands are frequent targets for grab-and-go theft. Because many mall kiosk operators run small, independent businesses on narrow profit margins, a single incident can represent a significant loss. Owners can reduce exposure by mounting cameras at a downward 45-degree angle to capture both face and hand movement at the point of display, photographing or cataloguing inventory items with serial numbers before putting them out, and conducting quick visual counts at each shift change to catch discrepancies before they compound.

Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward for any tip that leads to an arrest. The program is structured so that witnesses never have to identify themselves: callers can relay what they know without providing a name, phone number, or any personal detail. Rewards are processed after a confirmed arrest, not when a tip is first received.

Anyone with information about the March 18 theft at Smith Haven Mall can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS, download the free P3 Tips app from the App Store or Google Play, or submit information online at P3Tips.com. With surveillance footage already part of the investigation, one credible identification could be enough to bring the case to a close.