MINEOLA, NY – A Long Island man is facing charges of murder and robbery after fatally shooting a Jericho gas station attendant during an incident that occurred last January, police said.
Joshua Golson-Orelus, 23 of New Cassel was arrested yesterday June 17 in Utica. He being charged with first degree murder, second degree robbery, first degree attempted robbery and two counts of second degree criminal possession of a weapon.
On January 28, 2015, Golson-Orelus entered the BP gas station located at 39 Jericho Turnpike around 9:10 P.M. and shot 56 year old Hany Awad, of Levittown. Awad’s body was discovered behind the gas station counter. He was pronounced dead at the scene and suffered from a gunshot wound to the torso.
Surveillance footage from a long island gas station show Joshua Golson-Orelus, 23 confronting a store clerk behind the counter carrying a gun. He is involved with thirteen gas station robberies around Long Island in the past six months.
Golson-Orelus was discovered last Wednesday after he robbed a gas station in Westbury around 2 P.M. on Sunday June 14. During this incident, he approached two store clerks at Citgo Gas Station at 495 Union Avenue at gunpoint and demanded cash. The two victims feared physical injury and complied with Golson-Orelus. He then calmly went behind the counter and searched for more cash. He fled on foot to a car owned by one of his friends and sped off towards Hempstead. The car was noticed speeding by a Nassau County Canine Unit who was on patrol at the time. The officer was able to clearly observe and recognize Golson-Orelus in the passenger seat of the vehicle and took the license plate down. This event helped lead his arrest.
Police say Golson-Orelus was involved in over a dozen gas armed gas station robberies including some in Hicksville, Westbury and Jericho over the past six months. Detectives are glad to put an end to his string of robberies.
Det. Sgt. James Skopek releases a statement earlier today at Police Headquarters in Mineola. Video: Andrew Cohen, Long Island Exchange. Video: Andrew Cohen
Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas released a statement at a Press Briefing this afternoon.
“This arrest has taken a menace to public safety off of the streets and we will prosecute this case aggressively to ensure that he’ll never threaten our communities again. “I commend our partners in this investigation – the Nassau County Police Department, the Utica Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service – for their excellent police work. This is an ongoing investigation and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to keep Long Islanders safe,” Singas said.
At the moment, police are investigating how the suspect traveled to Utica. They believe he may have fled been by train because there were no records left behind on surveillance cameras at toll booths or E-Z pass entrances. Investigators are determinging if anyone else is involved in this crime.
23 year old Joshua Golson-Orelus was arraigned today and is being sentenced to life in prison without bail.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial with the burden on the prosecution to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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