Suffolk County Police Arrest Janelle Edwards After Alleged Shirley Mastic Theft Spree
Officers arrested 38-year-old Janelle Edwards at 109 Poospatuck Lane after a 9:07 a.m. 911 call; she faces five petit larceny counts and one criminal mischief charge.
Suffolk County police took 38-year-old Janelle Edwards of 94 Mastic Blvd. into custody after responding to a 9:07 a.m. 911 call reporting a woman attempting to break into vehicles in front of 109 Poospatuck Lane in Mastic on March 1. Officers learned from the Seventh Precinct Investigative Unit that Edwards was wanted in connection with several recent thefts across Shirley and Mastic and arrested her shortly after arriving on scene; she faces five counts of petit larceny and one count of criminal mischief in the fourth degree.
Police allege a string of incidents in February tied to Edwards began with a Feb. 13 shoplifting at Stop & Shop, 999 Montauk Highway in Shirley, where investigators say $827 worth of nasal spray was taken at 10:48 a.m. On Feb. 27, detectives attribute two early-morning vehicle thefts on Revilo Drive in Shirley — cash taken from an unlocked 2005 Toyota at 12:56 a.m. and cash taken from an unlocked 2019 BMW at 2:00 a.m. That same Feb. 27 morning, authorities say a window of a 2011 Hyundai was smashed and a wallet stolen on Bullard Street in Mastic at 6:25 a.m.
The alleged spree continued on Feb. 28, when police say food was stolen from Handy Pantry, 630 Mastic Road in Mastic, at about 6:15 a.m. Investigators compiled those incidents and linked them to the suspect taken into custody after the Poospatuck Lane call, according to local reporting that drew on Suffolk County Police information.
Sources differ on where Edwards was held pending court. Two reports state she was being held at the Fourth Precinct, while another report says she was held at the 5th Precinct in Smithtown; all outlets that covered the arrest said her arraignment was scheduled at First District Court in Central Islip on March 2. "Anyone with information is asked to contact the Seventh Precinct Investigative Unit at 631-852-8730."
Patch noted that "Residents in the Mastic-Shirley area have been complaining on social media about a woman breaking into or trying to break into cars overnight in recent weeks." News 12 Long Island summarized the outcome of the arrest this way: "The arrest ended her alleged spree." "A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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