Bomb threat being investigated in Valley Stream

Village and Nassau County Police officials are investigating threats written on the abandoned Valley Stream Waldbaums building this past weekend.

Written in black magic marker on a front window of the West Merrick Road building was “7/6/11 TO BE BLOWN UP!” There was also a sign, believed to be addressed to village officials because it referenced the address of Village Hall, taped to the door about the status of the property’s ownership. It was signed “Nearby resident.”

Another sign read “July 6th, 7 AM DON’T FORGET." No incidents were reported at the property on Wednesday morning.

Thomas DeSimone, the village’s director of public safety, said the signs have been taken down, and the department of public works was called in to erase the graffiti. He said the threat is not considered viable.

The supermarket closed in April and has been empty ever since. Mayor Ed Fare said that Waldbaums is in bankruptcy litigation. A new tenant has already expressed interest in the building, also a supermarket, and is planning to move in as soon as the court proceedings are over, Fare explained. “Whoever is perpetrating this crime is uninformed,” he said. “It’s not been vacant very long, maybe two months.”

Fare said on Tuesday, after the village received word of the threats, he sent the highway department down to clean up the property, including getting rid of mattresses and furniture. He said Code Enforcement has also been issuing summonses to the property owner to maintain the property. “It hasn’t been two months of neglect,” he said.

DeSimone said that it is unknown when the signs and graffiti went up on the building, however he said the police first received a call about it on Monday at about 4:50 p.m. He said Public Safety will keep an eye on the property. “We will increase our presence in this area,” he said.

Officer Maureen Roach, a spokeswoman from the Nassau County Police Department, said there is an active investigation and officers will be monitoring the property.