Three Hempstead men were arrested in Wantagh early Thursday morning after a burglary in North Bellmore.
According to Nassau County detectives, around 2 a.m., First Precinct police officers responded to a residence on Jerusalem Avenue in North Bellmore for a burglary in progress.
A canine police officer responded to the area to assist and observed a 2002 Hyundai tailgating her unmarked police vehicle, police said. The vehicle then attempted to pass the police officer's vehicle on the right shoulder of the road several times.
According to police, the vehicle was stopped at Wantagh Avenue and Flower Avenue, in Wantagh, where the officer observed driver Richard Santiago, 20, Jose Valle, 17, and Jorshua Matheu-Lopez, 20, in the vehicle. A large screen television was seen in the trunk and Valle was observed sitting on electronic equipment.
The three defendants were removed from the vehicle when Valle was found to be in possession of multiple bags of a substance believed to be cocaine, police said.
An investigation revealed that the electronic equipment found in the car was the proceeds of the burglary at the North Bellmore residence. The defendants were then placed into custody.
Matheu-Lopez was charged with burglary in the second degree.
Valle was charged with burglary in the second degree, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree.
Santiago was charged with burglary in the second degree, as well as numerous vehicle and traffic law violations.
All three defendants will be arraigned at First District Court in Hempstead on Friday.
