Police report that a Farmingdale woman, while walking northbound on Franklin Avenue at approximately noon Feb. 17, was first thrown against a wall and later to the ground near Seventh Street when she refused to give her pocketbook to a male subject attempting to rob her.

According to Garden City police, the male subject, a 26-year-old from Jamaica, was heading southbound on Franklin Avenue when he approached the victim. He demanded her bag and when the 63-year-old woman refused, he used force to rip it from her person. The subject, according to police reports, then jumped into a getaway van, a 1994 Pontiac Transport heading south on Franklin.

Nearby merchants on Seventh Street witnessed the robbery and called police. Arriving on the scene shortly thereafter, Garden City Police Officer Touhy ascertained the subject¹s description and the van¹s license plate number. Garden City police, according to Lieutenant Kenneth Jackson, then put out an area notification to surrounding police departments.

A joint investigation with the Nassau County Bureau of Special Operations unit, Nassau County¹s 3rd Squad and Garden City police Detective Rothermel and Officer Madden led to the arrest of the Jamaica resident and recovery of the van, both discovered in Jamaica. The subject was charged with second-degree robbery.

Garden City and Nassau County police are continuing the investigation until the second subject, the driver of the van, is in custody. According to Lieutenant Jackson, the victim was shaken up by the incident but did not receive any permanent injuries.

The woman¹s handbag, a wallet, various credit cards, $400 in cash, a cell phone and numerous IDs are among the proceeds not yet recovered as of press time.