Crime & Safety
2 Men Steal $275K Watch From Nassau Shop: Police
The men distracted a salesperson and stole the watch, police say. One of the men was deported from the U.S. in 2017 and 2018, police say.
![Petru Magdas, 49, (left) and Petru Munteanu, 28, both of Queens Village, were arrested Thursday after they stole a watch valued at more than $275K from Loucri Jewelers in Greevale on July 17, Nassau police said.](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/users/23350902/20240805/033617/styles/patch_image/public/mixcollage-05-aug-2024-03-16-pm-4158___05151645469.jpg)
GREENVALE, NY — Two Queens Village men were arrested Thursday after Nassau police said they stole a watch valued at more than $275K from a shop in Greenvale.
Petru Magdas, 49, and Petru Munteanu, 28, entered Loucri Jewelers, at 55 Northern Boulevard, around 3:15 p.m. July 17, police said. The two worked together to distract the salesperson and then concealed an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak custom diamond watch worth $275,325, police said. The two men then drove away in a gray Ford Edge, police said.
Magdas and Munteanu were both found and arrested Thursday without incident, police said. The Audemar Piguet Royal Oak watch was recovered, police said. No injuries were repoted, police said.
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Munteanu was apprehended by United States Border Patrol on Dec. 28, 2021, and processed as an expedited removal from the United States but has yet to be placed into removal proceedings, police said.
Magdas has two previous removals from the United States in 2017 and 2018, police said.
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"It is unknown when [Magdas] illegally re-entered the United States," the department wrote.
Magdas and Munteanu were each charged with second-degree grand larceny. They were arraigned on Friday at First District Court, at 99 Main St., Hempstead. Munteanu was released with no bail and did not return for an electronic GPS, police said. Magdas is being held on an outstanding warrant, police said.
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