On October 24th, the Nassau County Legislature honored two Nassau County Police Department Officers from the 2nd Precinct for their work in recovering a stolen car and catching a suspect who was tied to multiple car thefts in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. They are the Legislative Top Cops for October 2022.
On September 22nd, Officers Jason Ziegler and Salvatore Mangano were patrolling the Syosset/Woodbury area for a stolen Mercedes Benz. Officer Ziegler spotted a vehicle that matched the description heading eastbound on Jericho Turnpike, and transmitted the location over his radio. He pursued the vehicle in a way that did not call attention to himself and did not alert the driver that he was being followed by police officers.
When Officer Mangano arrived, the officers activated their lights and sirens as the vehicle turned onto South Oyster Bay Road. Officers from Muttontown Village stopped traffic on the roadway, and Officers Ziegler and Mangano used the stopped traffic to box in the stolen vehicle. They then proceeded to exit their cars and open the door to gain access to the stolen car.
The subject inside refused to unlock the door and ignored numerous commands to exit the car. He then tried to drive away and rammed another vehicle. Finally, realizing he was trapped, he allowed the officers to gain entry and was arrested.
The arrest of this individual has led to numerous stolen car cases in both Nassau and Suffolk Counties to be closed.