Suffolk County police arrest man accused in burglary spree
An arrest in a Suffolk burglary spree comes after a string of repeat hits on storefronts from Shirley to Central Islip. Recent cases show burglars often targeted glass doors, windows and the same shops more than once.
Suffolk County police have arrested a man accused of a recent burglary spree, but the pattern behind the cases points to a broader vulnerability for local businesses that close overnight. Across Shirley, Bay Shore, Brentwood, Central Islip and Lake Grove, investigators have repeatedly seen the same playbook: smash or pry open glass, move fast and hit small storefronts more than once before owners can fully reset.
The latest arrest follows several weeks of break-ins, a stretch that fits a wider Suffolk County pattern of clustered burglaries rather than isolated thefts. In July 2025, police said George Dimou, 55, of Middle Island, was responsible for five Shirley-area business break-ins between June 2 and July 5, including a pizzeria, a nail salon and the same Carvel location on three separate occasions. In February 2026, Suffolk police said Joseph Porter, 36, of Shirley, was charged in connection with seven business burglaries across Bay Shore, Brentwood and Central Islip over about three weeks.
Police have also linked other defendants to similar runs. In June 2024, Suffolk police said Joseph Foresto, 67, of Lake Grove, committed six burglaries and one attempted burglary at businesses between May 18 and June 22, while in June 2023, Kenneth Eckoff, 70, of Mastic Beach, was arrested in connection with seven business burglaries in Suffolk County. In those cases, the targets were businesses that shared the same weakness, late-night access points that could be forced open without much time on scene.
The methods have varied, but the entry points have often been the same. In other Suffolk burglary cases, police have said suspects used heavy objects to smash glass doors or windows, or removed glass from front doors to avoid alarms. That has made pizzerias, salons, restaurants, shops and auto parts stores especially vulnerable when they are empty and dark.
Burglary remains one of the major property-crime categories in Suffolk County crime reporting, which is why a string of break-ins in one area can quickly draw the attention of detectives, precinct officers and prosecutors. Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney’s office said it created the Retail Protection Partnership in October 2023 in response to rising shoplifting and retail theft concerns, a sign that repeated losses at local stores have become a countywide enforcement issue.
The arrest may close one investigation, but it does not erase the larger question raised by the recent cases: how many storefronts still have the same exposed glass, the same overnight routine and the same weak point waiting to be tested again.
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