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Mirabile allegedly hit this Wendy’s in Ridgewood twice in November.
By Forum Staff
A 44-year-old Congers, New York man has been charged with burglary and other crimes for a series of thefts within the restrooms of eight fast food and fast casual restaurants throughout Queens between November and December 28, 2018.
District Attorney Brown said, “The defendant in this case stopped into various restaurants in Queens County – not for food, but for toilet flush fixtures. Bypassing the counter to order a quick meal, the defendant allegedly made a bee-line for the restrooms and exited minutes later with toilet flush fixtures stuffed in a bag. Some restaurants were allegedly hit twice by the plumbing plunderer.”
Richard Mirabile was arraigned last week beforere Queens Criminal Court Judge Toni M. Cimino on a complaint charging him with third-degree burglary, third- and fourthdegree criminal mischief, petit larceny and attempted petit larceny. Bail was set at $25,000. Mirabile will return to court on January 9, 2019.
On eight separate occasions Mirabile was seen either by an individual or on video surveillance drive into a restaurant’s parking lot, go inside the building’s restroom and exit with bag. Restaurant employees noticed afterthe defendant left the eatery, the toilets’ flushing mechanisms were missing. The District Attorney said, according to the charges, at approximately 12:53 p.m. on November 23, the defendant was seen on surveillance video entering a Wendy’s restaurant at 61-11 Fresh Pond Road, in Ridgewood. With a bag in hand, the defendant went toward the men’s restroom, where he remained out of camera view for a few minutes. After he left the store manager went into the bathroom and noticed all the flushing mechanisms from the bathroom were missing. A few days later Mirabile hit the same Wendy’s.
About two weeks later, the defendant entered the restroom of a Burger King on Astoria Boulevard. He spent about 10 minutes in the restroom, before leaving with a bag containing the flushing mechanisms. He returned to that restaurant as well about 3 weeks later.
He continued stealing flushing fixtures at several other establishments includingArby’s and a Wendy’s, both on Metropolitan Avenue in Middle Village.
Mirabile also stole flushing mechanisms from two other eateries – the Bean N Bean coffee shop in Flushing and another Arby’s in Fresh Meadows – on December 26, 2018. The fixtures are valued at approximately $250 each.
