Police Officers Kevin Warmhold and Kenneth Vencak, of the 102nd Precinct, were honored with the Cop of the Month award at last week’s community council meeting for the arrest of two career criminals who police said were caught stealing a van.
According to Capt. Martin Briffa, executive officer of the precinct, Warmhold and Vencak were on routine patrol in plainclothes when they spotted two individuals acting suspiciously at Atlantic Avenue and 102nd Street in Ozone Park on Jan. 3 at 11 p.m.
A short while later, the officers saw the same two individuals allegedly removing a license plate from a Ford Econoline van, Briff said.
Warmhold and Vencak reported seeing the suspects put the stolen license plate on another van they had allegedly just stolen, according to Briffa. After a short pursuit, the cops nabbed the alleged perpetrators.
Upon further questioning, the suspects admitted to five previous auto thefts, with some of the stolen vehicles winding up in illegal chop shops to be dismantled for their parts, the captain said.
Briffa said that a check of their past criminal records indicated that the duo had 13 prior arrests for stealing cars.
Briffa commended both officers on the arrest for doing a “great job.”
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