WHITE PLAINS, NY — Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. announced that
Kareem Johnakin of Bethlehem, PA, was arraigned in Westchester County Court following a multicount indictment for burglarizing several Yonkers and New Rochelle businesses in the spring and summer 2017. He is being held without bail and is scheduled to appear again in court Oct. 9, 2018.
He is charged with the following:
•5 counts of Burglary in the Third Degree, class D felonies
•3 counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, class D felonies
•4 counts of Criminal Mischief in the Third Degree, class E felonies
•1 count of Petit Larceny, a misdemeanor
The arraignment alleges Johnakin and his co-defendant Patrick Williams (DOB 12/09/66) broke into food markets and a restaurant in the early hours of the morning and stole money before leaving the scene. In four out of the five events, the defendants broke into the markets by pushing up metal roll-down gates and, in most cases, sliding underneath them. In the restaurant, they smashed a glass door to get in.
Locations of incidents and approximate amounts of stolen money:
May 12, 2017 — Yonkers Farm Market, 1101 Yonkers Avenue, Yonkers = $4,700
July 2, 2017 — Rainbow Fish Market, 482 Main Street, New Rochelle = $3,300
July 6, 2017 — Green Dragon Restaurant, 150 North Avenue, New Rochelle = less than $1,000
July 6, 2017 — Saw Mill Market, 317 Saw Mill River Road, Yonkers = $13,300
Aug. 3, 2017 — store at 321 Saw Mill River Road, Yonkers = 0, defendants scared off by alarm
Williams is scheduled for arraignment Oct. 9. 2018.
The investigation was conducted with the assistance of Yonkers and New Rochelle Police and the Westchester Intelligence Center.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Laura Murphy, Chief of the Career Criminal Bureau, with assistance from Assistant District Attorney Adrian Murphy of the Investigations Division.