Nassau County police say a late-night walk through the shuttered Sunrise Mall in Massapequa ended in handcuffs for three men early Friday, after officers found them inside the largely vacant complex and noticed several damaged doors. All three were taken into custody without incident, and a handgun later turned up in a vehicle parked just outside the mall.
Police: Suspects and Charges
Officers responded to the mall at about 1:27 a.m. and, according to Massapequa Post, arrested 21-year-old Omar Flores of Queens, 20-year-old Isiah Rodriguez of Levittown and 19-year-old Shea Velazquez of Clermont, Florida.
As detectives processed the scene, police say they recovered a Smith & Wesson .38 Special revolver from a Nissan Altima parked on Eastgate Road. According to police, Velazquez had a speed loader with six rounds and now faces charges that include criminal possession of a firearm, burglary, criminal mischief and possession of burglar's tools. Flores and Rodriguez were each charged with burglary, criminal mischief and possession of burglar's tools, police said.
Sunrise Mall's Long Decline
The alleged break-in unfolded at a site that has been fading from the local retail map for years. The Sunrise Mall is now largely vacant and has been the subject of ongoing talks about its future. Long Island Business News reported last year that the owners applied to subdivide the 77-acre property and had discussed logistics and other non‑retail uses.
That transition away from traditional shopping has left big stretches of the complex quiet at night and, residents and nearby businesses say, increasingly vulnerable to trespassers looking to slip in unnoticed.
What's Next
All three men were set to be arraigned Saturday in First District Court in Hempstead, according to the Massapequa Post. Nassau County police say the investigation remains active, with detectives continuing to comb through the mall and examine the Altima tied to the case.
