Massapequa Man and Partner Arrested in Purse Snatching Spree

A Massapequa man and his female partner have been arrested in connection with eight purse snatchings in the last five days.

Alfonso Zitoli, 29, of Massapequa, and Veronica Sarabella, 30, of Deer Park, were arrested Saturday.

Their alleged robbery spree began Tuesday with the robbery at the Massapequa  LIRR station. The victim was using an automatic ticket machine on the street level when Zitoli approached and took her bag, before driving off on Sunrise Highway.

The pair struck again at a King Kullen on Stewart Avenue in Bethpage Wednesday and at a Pathmark on Merrick Road in  Seaford Thursday.

Police said the pair were responsible for three robberies on Friday, the first one in Levittown in the Parking lot of B.J.s at 12:35 p.m. where Zitoli allegedly took the handbag out of the shopping cart of a 65-year-old woman who was plaching packages in her car.

A few minutes later, Sarabella allegedly drove up to a 31-year-old woman in the parking lot of Delco Plaza on South Broadway and grabbed the woman's handbag from her shoulder, causing her to be dragged by the car, before the bag broke free. The victim was hospitalized with leg contusions.

At 1 p.m., Sarabella grabbed the bag of a 28-year-old woman at Jerusalem Avenue and Old Country Road in Hicksville, knocking her to the ground, police said. She refused medical attention.

The final two robberies took place Saturday, according to police.  The pair allegedly swiped a purse from a 56-year-old woman's shopping cart at a King Killen on Northern Boulevard in Manhasset, at 4:33 p.m.  

About 50 minutes later, Zitoli drove alongside a 51 year-old woman in front of the Shop-Rite on Woodbury Road in Plainvew and grabbed the handbag from the victim's right shoulder, police said. The woman hurt her shoulder, but also refused medical attention.

Zitoli and Sarabella were both charged with two counts Robbery second degree, Attempted Robbery second degree and three counts of Grand Larceny fourth degree. Zitoli was also charged with three counts of Robbery third degree.