Incident location, Long Island
Zero smoke shop at 656 Suffolk Avenue when Attia entered the vehicle. The father and a store employee intervened before Attia could drive away. Both children were unharmed.
Zero smoke shop, located at 656 Suffolk Avenue in Brentwood, Suffolk County. The father had left the vehicle running outside the store when the suspect entered it. ---FAQ--- Q: Who was arrested and what are the charges? A: Mustafa Attia was arrested by Suffolk County Police in connection with the attempted theft of a running vehicle that contained two young children — a 6-year-old and a 5-year-old. Specific charges and arraignment details had not been fully disclosed in the initial press release; further legal proceedings details remain limited pending additional official information. ---FAQ--- Q: Were the children inside the car harmed? A: According to the Suffolk County Police Department press release, both children — ages 6 and 5 — were inside the running Volkswagen when Attia entered it. Police have not confirmed any injuries to either child, and the father and a store employee intervened before Attia was able to drive the vehicle away. ---FAQ--- Q: What vehicle was involved in the attempted theft in Brentwood? A: The vehicle targeted was a 2025 Volkswagen, which the father had left running outside the Bougatsa Zero smoke shop at 656 Suffolk Avenue in Brentwood while he briefly went inside. ---FAQ--- Q: How was Mustafa Attia stopped from stealing the car? A: According to the Suffolk County Police Department, the father witnessed Attia enter the vehicle from inside the store and rushed back outside along with a store employee. The two intervened and prevented Attia from driving away with the children. ---FAQ--- Q: What is the Bougatsa Zero smoke shop and where is it located? A: Bougatsa Zero is a smoke shop located at 656 Suffolk Avenue in Brentwood, New York. It was the site of the attempted vehicle theft on June 16, 2026, when a father left his two young children in a running car outside while entering the business.
What Happened
A Brentwood father’s brief errand turned into a frightening ordeal on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, when a man attempted to steal his running vehicle — with his two young children still inside — from the parking lot of a Suffolk Avenue smoke shop, according to the Suffolk County Police Department.
The father had parked his 2025 Volkswagen outside the Bougatsa Zero smoke shop, located at 656 Suffolk Avenue in Brentwood, and left the engine running while he went inside — leaving his 6-year-old and 5-year-old children unattended in the car. A man identified by police as Mustafa Attia then entered the occupied vehicle and attempted to drive away.
According to the Suffolk County Police Department’s official press release, the father saw Attia enter the vehicle from inside the store and immediately ran back outside. A store employee accompanied him. Together, the two were able to confront Attia and prevent the vehicle from being driven away before law enforcement arrived and took Attia into custody.
Both children were in the car during the attempted theft. Police have not confirmed any physical injuries to either child, and the intervention by the father and the store employee appears to have concluded the incident before it escalated further. The exact time of the incident has not been released in the initial press notice; additional details remain limited pending a more complete official statement.
Attia’s age and hometown had not been disclosed in the initial release from Suffolk County Police. The specific charges filed against him — which are expected to include attempted grand larceny of a motor vehicle and potentially charges related to the endangerment of the children — had not been fully enumerated in the press release at time of publication. Police have not yet confirmed the full charge sheet.
Location & Road Context
The incident took place at 656 Suffolk Avenue (New York State Route 27A) in Brentwood, a densely populated hamlet in the Town of Islip in Suffolk County. Suffolk Avenue is a heavily trafficked commercial corridor running through the heart of central Brentwood, lined with small businesses, smoke shops, bodegas, and service establishments. The road serves as a primary surface artery connecting Brentwood to Bay Shore to the south and Commack Road to the north, carrying a consistent flow of local traffic throughout the day.
Our Suffolk County incident database currently contains 457 recorded accidents across the county, reflecting the broad range of traffic and public safety events that occur along roadways like Suffolk Avenue. This specific stretch of Route 27A has one recorded incident in our database — the current case.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Mustafa Attia was placed under arrest by Suffolk County Police following the confrontation in the parking lot. According to the Suffolk County Police Department, the investigation was active as of the time the press release was issued. Arraignment details, bail conditions, and the full enumeration of charges had not been confirmed in the initial release; those proceedings details remain limited and are expected to be disclosed following Attia’s formal arraignment in Suffolk County District Court.
Under New York Penal Law, attempted grand larceny of a motor vehicle — particularly one occupied by minor children — can carry serious felony exposure. If the children are deemed to have been placed in a situation of endangerment, prosecutors may also pursue charges under New York’s reckless endangerment statutes. The precise charge level and corresponding sentencing range will depend on the final indictment, which police have not yet confirmed.
Broader Impact
New York State law prohibits leaving a child under the age of eight unattended in a motor vehicle under circumstances that present a risk to health or safety — a provision under Social Services Law Section 371. While the father in this case was victimized and acted swiftly to protect his children, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the risks associated with leaving young children in running, unattended vehicles, even briefly, in busy commercial parking areas like those along Suffolk Avenue in Brentwood. Suffolk County has seen a string of notable public safety incidents in recent days, including a motorcyclist seriously injured in a motor vehicle crash and an e-bike operator critically injured — both on June 17, 2026 — underscoring an active week for first responders across the county.