Car Wash Break-In Leaves Rego Park Locals Uneasy

REGO PARK, QUEENS -- When Fernando Magalhaes heard security alarms for his Queens car wash go off late Thursday night, he rushed to his car and sped to the scene. But when he arrived, the burglar was long gone, leaving a broken glass door in his wake.

"By the time I got there, there were already three to four police cars looking for the robber," Magalhaes told Patch. "He tried to rob the place, but I had no money so he went back to the car."

The NYPD is searching for the burglar who broke into Magalhaes' Rego Park car wash and attempted to steal the cash register at around 11 p.m. Thursday. The suspect broke into Metro Wash and Lube, located at 91-10 Metropolitan Ave, by shattering the glass back door, cops told Patch.

Magalhaes, who watched surveillance footage of the break-in, said an unknown minivan pulled up to his car wash and a lone man got out. After using an unknown tool to crack the glass door, the man realized the car wash had no money and returned to the van as the security alarms began going off, Magalhaes said.

Though nothing was taken, the break-in still left locals uneasy, with several posting to community Facebook groups to ask why the area was surrounded by police. Magalhaes said he was concerned the burglar would strike again.

"I'm not scared, because that's just how I am, but I'm thinking it will happen again until we catch this guy," he said.

Magalhaes said the neighborhood has seen a string of business break-ins over the last month or so, many of times with glass doors cracked like his was. He believes they are connected.

"I'm just feeling bad because the cops don't have this guy yet," he said. "I think the cops should be spending more time on this."

Lead photo via Google Maps.