Serial burglar busted after exiting LI home with nail gun

CEDARHURST, N.Y. (1010 WINS) — A 59-year-old man has been charged with over a dozen burglaries in Nassau County after being caught early Sunday while exiting a home with a nail gun, police said.

Police said officers responding to a 911 call reporting a suspicious person near the intersection of West Broadway and Derby Avenue in Cedarhurst saw Edwin Griffin "exiting the rear yard of a residence" with a nail gun and an electric bicycle around 4:45 a.m.

During the course of the arrest, police said Griffin was "violent and combative while resisting arrest."

Griffin and one officer were taken to a hospital for evaluation and treatment of unspecified injuries, police said.

According to police, the subsequent investigation linked Griffin to the following burglaries dating back to December 2021:

• May 4 - 40 Washington Avenue, Cedarhurst• May 3 - 110 Cumberland Place, Lawrence• April 3 - 343 Summit Avenue, Cedarhurst• Jan. 4 - 226 Oakwood Avenue, Cedarhurst• Jan. 4 - 335 Forest Avenue, Woodmere• Jan. 4 - 315 Forest Avenue, Woodmere• Jan. 3 - 120 North Wood Lane, Woodmere• Jan. 2 - 138 Hards Lane, Lawrence• Dec. 3 - 235 Broadway, Lawrence• Oct. 27 - 19 Pine Street, Woodmere• Oct. 20 - 226 Oakwood Avenue, Cedarhurst• June 29 - 544 Monroe Street, Cedarhurst• May 15 - 6 Lakeside Drive West, Lawrence• Jan. 4, 2022 - 317 Linwood Avenue, Cedarhurst• Dec. 17, 2021 - 218 Linwood Road, Cedarhurst

Police said Griffin was charged with 15 counts of third-degree burglary, three counts of third-degree attempted burglary, petit larceny, second-degree assault, two counts of obstructing governmental administration, resisting arrest and three counts of criminal trespassing, police said.