A masked man who police say shoved a Best Buy employee and claimed he had a gun is now the target of a Nassau County manhunt after a high-end camera was swiped from the Green Acres Mall store in Valley Stream.
According to the Nassau County Police Department, the robbery unfolded on Feb. 17 inside the electronics chain, where the suspect allegedly walked behind the checkout counter, pushed an employee and warned that he had a gun. He then took a Samsung S5 camera valued at more than $2,000 and fled the store. Detectives have released surveillance images and opened an active investigation into the grab.
In a Facebook post on March 12, the Nassau County Police Department said the man can be seen in store footage moving behind the register area before taking the merchandise and bolting. The post lists the department's reference case number as 2026CR314598 and includes stills investigators say show the suspect.
Police describe the suspect as a Black male, about 18 to 25 years old, with a neck tattoo who was wearing a black ski mask. Anyone who recognizes the person in the images is asked to call Nassau County police at 516-573-6500 or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. Nassau County Crime Stoppers notes that tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward. More information is available from Nassau County Crime Stoppers.
Mall disturbances add context
The Best Buy theft comes as Green Acres Mall has dealt with other headline-making trouble in recent weeks. On Feb. 19, a social-media-fueled "takeover" drew an estimated 100 to 150 teenagers and led to multiple arrests. Local coverage of that disturbance shows police and mall security hustling to manage large crowds, something retailers and law enforcement say can make it tougher to prevent thefts. For more on the Feb. 19 disruption, see reporting from LongIsland.com.
How to help
Detectives with the Nassau County Police Department's Fifth Squad are handling the probe and have again cited reference case number 2026CR314598 in public alerts. Anyone with information is urged to call 516-573-6500, or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. The department's post with surveillance stills and contact details is available from the Nassau County Police Department.
