What Happened
A man was arrested for burglary in Lindenhurst Wednesday evening after Suffolk County Police Department officers used an aerial drone to track him down following his flight from a Richmond Avenue home. The 911 call came in at 7:06 p.m. The suspect had already left the scene by the time First Precinct patrol units arrived.
With the suspect’s location unknown, detectives deployed a Drone as First Responder to search the surrounding area, according to the Suffolk County Police Department press release. Drone operators gathered information from witnesses in the area and used it to zero in on the suspect’s position. They then directed ground officers to his location. The arrest followed without further incident.
Police have not publicly released the suspect’s name, age, or hometown as of the time of this report. The specific interior of the Richmond Avenue home targeted — and whether anything was taken — has not been disclosed by the department.
Location & Road Context
Richmond Avenue runs north-south through Lindenhurst, a hamlet in the Town of Babylon in western Suffolk County. The First Precinct, which covers the southwestern corner of Suffolk County including Lindenhurst, Amityville, and West Babylon, handled the response. Our Suffolk County incident database has logged 843 recorded accidents in the county, though this arrest involves no roadway collision.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
The suspect faces a burglary charge, per the Suffolk County Police Department. No arraignment date, bail figure, or court assignment has been announced. The department has not confirmed whether additional charges are pending.
Broader Impact
Suffolk County’s Drone as First Responder program is the specific mechanism that produced this arrest. The department has used the program to respond to incidents ranging from missing persons searches to fleeing vehicle suspects across First Precinct territory. Wednesday’s Richmond Avenue arrest is one concrete outcome: a suspect who cleared the scene before patrol cars arrived was in custody the same evening.
Updates
- Aug 26, 2026: Additional reporting merged into this article: “‘He wasn’t aware of the eyes up above.’ Police drone helps catch Lindenhurst home burglary suspect” (source)