A local man who tried to cash in a winning lottery ticket he allegedly stole from a Flushing deli the previous day has been apprehended, prosecutors said.
Anthony Rodriguez, 31, was arrested on March 12 by the 111th Precinct. He faces charges of burglary, grand larceny and criminal mischief in the third degree and is being held on $75,000 bail.
According to the criminal complaint provided by the Queens District Attorney’s office, on Feb. 1, Rodriguez allegedly entered a construction site at 195-02 47th Ave. and proceeded to cut a hole in the drywall separating the site from the adjacent storefront, America’s Favorite Deli.
Surveillance footage allegedly shows Rodriguez climbing through the hole, entering the deli and going to the cash register and lottery station, where he removed approximately $5,000 in cash and $3,500 worth of lottery tickets. He then exits the location through the same hole in the wall.
On Feb. 2, an employee at the deli entered the business and observed that the location was ransacked. Later that same day, Rodriguez entered the deli during business hours and attempted to cash in a scratch off lottery ticket, which had a serial number matching one that was reported stolen in the incident, prosecutors said.
The defendant is scheduled to return to court on March 27.
According to law enforcement sources, Rodriguez has been linked to other commercial burglaries in the area. Information on these incidents was not available.
