North Babylon man deflates woman’s tire, then jacks her purse while offering help, cops say

Suffolk Police arrested a North Babylon man this week for a distraction robbery scheme in which he allegedly deflated a shopper’s tire before stealing the woman’s cash while pretending to help her.

Peter Cordero, 55, was charged with petit larceny and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, police said.

The Wednesday incident happened about 3 p.m. in the parking lot of the Stop & Shop plaza on Montauk Highway in West Babylon. As a woman came back to her car after shopping, Cordero approached her and pointed out a flat tire on her car, offering to fill it, police said.

“The man asked the woman to look for a jack in her trunk during which time the man stole money from her purse inside the vehicle,” Suffolk Police said in a statement.

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Investigators believe Cordero deflated the tire while the victim shopped, staging the entire scenario to create an opportunity for diversion and theft.

Cordero pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Friday in Suffolk First District Court in Central Islip.

_{Top: Peter Cordero (Suffolk Police) and Stop & Shop in West Babylon (Google Maps Street View).}