by David Greene

A group of experienced thieves, eluding police since early this year, have struck again in Bedford Park. 

This time the bandits burglarized three stores in Bedford Park, the same neighborhood where they struck Spin Laundromat in July, raising the burglary count to 54. On Oct. 22, thieves smashed their way into Connie’s Laundromat, the Bedford Park Cleaners and the Wa Kang Kitchen, businesses all connected along East Bedford Park Boulevard.

Some outlaws in the July burglary were caught, though several more have carried on the crime spree. In all, the team is suspected of 54 burglaries that took place in the Bronx, Queens, Manhattan and Westchester County.

“It’s a citywide burglary pattern and they’re wanted for all of these incidents,” said an NYPD spokesman.

Thieves again made off with cash from the three registers as well as security cameras and equipment, before they reportedly cleaned-out the ATM machine inside the Wa Kang Kitchen.

According to Mar y Tierra manager Nelson Fernandez, “They took the ATM machine and moved it over to there,” pointing to an open floor in the back of the restaurant, and continued, “and they sawed it and took the money out.”

He added thieves removed $4,000 from the ATM, and another $1,000 from the register and also removed several bottles from the restaurant’s best liquor.

The eatery shut for a day so police could conduct their investigation and Fernandez could make repairs to the ventilation system, where the thieves wormed through.

Asked whether he intends on offering an ATM service, Fernandez replied, “Do I look stupid?”

Police have released a lone security camera photo of one suspect, but police could not immediately say where it was taken. The subject is wearing blue jeans, a sweat shirt and a baseball cap.