Teen Crime Spree Inspired By GTA4

Six teens inspired by the notoriously violent video game "Grand Theft Auto" were in court Thursday on robbery charges after a crime spree that began with a late-night mugging outside a New Hyde Park supermarket, police said.

The Wednesday night robbery carried over into the early hours of Thursday morning as the teens paraded down the middle of a Garden City street armed with bats and a crowbar, the police said.

They robbed one motorist and smashed a passing van with a bat, Nassau police said.

"It was determined that they were emulating the character in that Grand Theft Auto game, going on a crime spree" using weapons and tactics inspired by the controversial video game, said Det. Sgt. Anthony Repalone, a Nassau police spokesman.

"We got certain admissions" from the boys, Repalone said.

All the boys were charged as adults.

Arrested and charged with first-degree robbery were Stephen Attard, 18, of 1st Avenue, New Hyde Park and Dylan Laird, 17, of Southborough, Mass.; a 14-year-old, 15-year-old and a 16-year-old, all males and all from New Hyde Park, were also charged with first-degree robbery. Their identities are being withheld by Newsday because they are juveniles.

Jaspreet Singh, 17, of Brown Place, New Hyde Park, was charged with criminal possession of stolen property. The 14, 15 and 16-year-old boys robbed a man of cash and property at around 11:30 p.m. as the victim left a Stop & Shop grocery store on Hillside and Stewart avenues in New Hyde Park, police said.

The three were then joined by the other boys and, after arming themselves with bats and a crowbar, they walked down Stewart Avenue in Garden City blocking the road, police said.

They robbed a female motorist of her cigarettes and hit a passing van with a bat, police said. The female victim notified police, who responded and arrested the teens.

All faced arraignment Thursday at First District Court, Hempstead.