East Meadow Man Convicted of Burglarizing Senior Citizen’s Home, Leading Cops on Hours-Long Chase

Gandolfo convicted of burglary and trespassing; faces 15 years

MINEOLA, NY – Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced today that an East Meadow man has been convicted by a jury of burglary and trespassing charges after he broke into the senior housing residence of an 80-year-old woman and then led police on a more-than three hour chase through East Meadow.

It took a jury less than a day to convict Robert Gandolfo, 28, of Burglary in the Second Degree and three counts of Trespassing in the Third Degree. He faces up to 15 years in prison at his November 18 sentencing.

Rice said that at around 1 a.m. on September 17, 2008, Gandolfo used an unlocked living window to gain entry into a townhouse in a senior housing complex in East. Gandolfo walked down a hallway to the bedroom of an 80-year-old woman recovering from knee surgery. She awoke to find Gandolfo standing in her room barefoot and with no shirt on. When the woman screamed, Gandolfo fled out the front door. When police responded, he led them on a three-and-a-half hour foot pursuit across residential rooftops and through backyards before he was placed under arrest.

“Mr. Gandolfo endangered this innocent 80-year-old woman, along with the rest of East Meadow’s residents and the police officers who captured him,” Rice said. “I am pleased that the jury was able to see what a danger this man posed to the community.”

Handling the case for the District Attorney’s Office is Deputy Bureau Chief Carolyn Kelly and ADA Lauren Doddato of the County Court Trial Bureau. The defendant is represented by Irving Singer, Esq.