Suspect in stolen Mineola parking meters case arrested

A Hempstead man has been ordered held on $25,000 bail bond after he pleaded "Not Guilty" to 16 criminal charges -- 11 Felonies included -- in connection with the alleged theft of 10 parking meters in Mineola, Long Island.

A meter in Mineola, still intact.Photo byC.J. Teevan

An Assistant District Attorney recited the charges against Marvin O. Morejon-Flores, 35, as he was arraigned yesterday before Judge Geoffrey Prime.

Nassau County Police said in a press release they arrested Morejon-Flores Wednesday after his name turned up on two open warrants.

Steal this meter? Loose cement bases impede - but don't stop - removal of some meters around Mineola.Photo byC.J. Teevan

Court records show Morejon-Flores was wanted on a probation violation for a prior criminal conviction, then skipped court dates in a Misdemeanor drug arrest by Hempstead Village Police.

The Assistant District Attorney used those records successfully at Morejon-Flores's arraignment Thursday to argue for bail for the "willfull and persistent" defendant.

Police describe in a sworn affidavit how they watched Morejon-Flores when they spotted him on Jericho Turnpike and Nassau Boulevard in Mineola Wednesday night. They say Morejon-Flores appeared to match the description of the thief they were hunting for.

Who dunnit? Parking meter went missing earlier this month from 8th Avenue in Mineola. Workers filled the hole that was left with soil.Photo byC.J. Teevan

In court filings describing facts that led to his arrest, police say Morejon-Flores didn’t give them his real name. According to police, he identified himself as “Carlos Flores” and gave a fake date of birth.

A fingerprint check revealed the suspect's true identity: An ex-con and two bench warrants with his name all over it. Tucked inside his backpack when they arrested him, they say, they found illegal "burglar tools".

Free parking at this former meter, unlawfully disconnected from the steel post, say officials, in early April in Mineola.Photo byC.J. Teevan

Evidence allegedly connected Morejon-Flores to thefts of parking meters worth thousands of dollars, the thief racking up 11 Felony Mischief and Grand Larceny charges plus Misdemeanor petit larceny, mischief, burglar tools possession and false impersonation charges for lying about his name to the police.

Police say meters all over Mineola have disappeared – on 6th Avenue, 7th Avenue, 8th Avenue, Willis Avenue, 1st Street and 3rd Street. Entire units embedded in cement were lifted out of the ground, say police, leaving gaping holes at the curb.

Orange cone covers the hole left by a meter removed this month from a street in Mineola.Photo byC.J. Teevan

In other cases, they say, a thief cracked meters open and removed coins. Some meters were disconnected from their steel posts, leaving empty metal rods.

Charges in Freeport thefts were initially included in Morejon-Flores's criminal case, but were withdrawn from the case filed Thursday.

Morejon-Flores's next day in court is scheduled for Monday, April 22, before Judge Anthony Paradiso. He has a Legal Aid lawyer.

Marvin O. Morejon-Flores, 35, depicted in his mugshot after his arrest. Nassau Judge Geoffrey Prime has set his bail bond at $25,000.Photo byNassau County Police Mug Shot