Suffolk County detectives probe East Islip strip mall burglaries, thousands stolen

An overnight burglary at an East Islip shopping center on East Main Street hit three small businesses at once, draining thousands of dollars in cash and leaving owners looking at the same broken entrance, the same stolen money and the same question of who watched the strip before moving in.

Guillermo Guardado arrived at El Café Monday morning to find the front door pried open. He said the burglar cracked open a machine inside the restaurant before moving on, one of several signs that the thief had time to work through the strip without being interrupted. El Café was one of three businesses hit in the same shopping center.

At Mr. Tech Bench, owner Roberto Solano said roughly $4,000 was taken. South Shore Deli was also burglarized, widening the impact beyond a single storefront and turning the break-ins into a hit on the entire corridor. Meredith Schwamb, who owns South Shore Deli, said, “When I found out it was us and the whole strip of stores, it was kind of upsetting,” and added, “It makes me think someone’s been watching.”

Suffolk County detectives spent the day gathering surveillance video from the shopping center as they worked to identify a suspect. The case now sits alongside a broader run of commercial burglaries on Long Island, including a separate Suffolk County case earlier this year in which police said seven businesses were burglarized across Bay Shore, Brentwood and Central Islip over a three-week span. For small operators, the pattern matters as much as the loss itself: cash drawers, damaged doors and interrupted morning openings can ripple through a business day long after the suspect is gone.

Police are asking anyone with information to come forward. Suffolk County Crime Stoppers accepts anonymous tips at 1-800-220-TIPS, or 8477. Suffolk County Police also says non-emergency suspicious activity can be reported at 631-852-COPS, or 2677.