New suspect arrested in East Rockaway CVS/carjacking case

In an update to an arrest of a Holtsville man for a CVS robbery and subsequent carjacking in April, Fourth Squad police report the arrest of Alexander Wachmyanin, 50, no known address, for the above crimes.

The Nassau County District Attorney’s office dropped all charges against initial subject, David Melis. Numerous witness identified Melis in photos.

“My office, the police department, and the medical examiner’s office thoroughly investigated this case and the evidence presented by Mr. Melis’ attorney," said Acting DA Madeline Singas. "My office dismissed the charges against Mr. Melis after video and DNA evidence made clear that Mr. Wachmyanin committed these crimes.”

According to detectives, upon receiving forensic evidence and during a continued investigation, Wachmyanin was arrested on Sunday, June 28, at 12:46 p.m. in front of 99 Terrace Avenue in Hempstead.

After the April 22 incident, and based on eyewitness accounts, Nassau County police arrested Melis at his home in Holtsville. He was charged with robbing the CVS store on Ocean Avenue, then stealing a woman’s car as he was being pursued by the store’s manager and another employee. He was arrested at his home after a police investigation.

The suspect was seen shoplifting on video at 3 p.m. that day. Since then, Melis's attorney, Mark Nadjar, obtained the video and went public with it, saying that the depiction of the man on the tape and his client were not the same man. "Look, he walks different, he's got a different build ... his bald spot is different. This is not Mr. Melis."

After the suspect left the store without paying, the store manager, helped by another employee, chased him west on Prospect Avenue, behind the store. After a brief struggle, the stolen property was recovered by the store manager.

The suspect took off running once more, police said, and was again followed on Prospect Avenue. He confronted a woman who was about to enter her running car, pushed her out of the way and jumped into the vehicle, a gray 2010 Toyota Corolla.

Witnesses ran to her aid and attempted to pull the man from the car, but he shifted it into reverse, struck a parked vehicle behind him and then drove forward, onto and across the victim’s lawn, before heading east and disappearing. No injuries were reported in the incident.