Police: 2 arrested in string of armed gas station robberies

Police say two people were arrested in connection to a string of armed robberies at gas stations that started in October.

News 12 Staff

Nov 7, 2019, 11:06 AM

Updated 1,640 days ago

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Police say two people were arrested in connection to a string of armed robberies at gas stations that started in October.
The last robbery took place Wednesday at an OK Petroleum gas station on Route 109 in West Babylon just before 1 p.m.
Police say Jhan Carlos Fernandez Espinal, 18, committed eight robberies, while Marta Rafalko, 20, was involved in four of them.
They say seven gas stations were targeted in the robberies, and that USA Gasoline in Lindenhurst was hit twice and was the first store to be targeted in the robberies.
Surveillance video from one of the robberies, at a Valero in Deer Park, shows a masked man reaching over the counter and grabbing a drawer from the cash register.
The owner tells News 12 the suspect stole $500 in cash.
Espinal and Rafalko face multiple robbery charges.


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