HEMPSTEAD, NY — A 30-year-old man died days after Nassau County police say he was attacked during a robbery outside a South Hempstead gas station early Saturday morning. Officers found Justinn Thomas in critical condition at the BP station on Grand Avenue near May Street, and police later said he died from head injuries suffered in the confrontation.
The case has drawn grief in nearby Nassau County communities, where Thomas was known as a worker at Another Level barber shop in Baldwin. A barber who worked with him described Thomas as a good person who was trying to earn an honest living and provide for his children.
Police say officers found Thomas after a robbery call at BP station
Nassau County police said officers responded to the BP station at 470 Grand Ave. just before 5:30 a.m. on Sept. 19 after a report of a robbery. The gas station sits near the intersection of May Street in South Hempstead, and that is where officers found Thomas badly hurt.
Police have said Thomas was not an employee of the gas station. They also said he was attacked during the robbery, though they have not released a full account of what happened before officers arrived.
Surveillance video reviewed by station workers showed a violent struggle
Employees who reviewed surveillance video said a group robbed Thomas outside the station. According to those workers, Thomas was dragged while holding on to the suspects’ vehicle, suggesting the encounter turned violent very quickly.
Nassau County police have not publicly commented on that version of events. The agency has also not said how many suspects may have been involved or provided details about the vehicle described by workers who watched the footage.
Thomas was remembered as a father and a steady employee
Thomas most recently worked at Another Level barber shop in Baldwin, where colleagues said he was well liked. Barber Keith Willis said Thomas never caused problems while he worked there and was simply trying to support his family.
Willis said Thomas was a good man with a good heart and was working hard to make an honest living. Those comments reflected the sense of loss felt among people who knew him and are now mourning his death after the robbery.
No arrest has been announced in the deadly robbery investigation
Nassau County police said they have not announced an arrest in the case. Detectives continue to investigate the robbery and the attack that left Thomas critically injured at the scene before he later died.
Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact Nassau County Police Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS or call 911. Police said the investigation remains ongoing as they work to determine exactly what happened outside the station that morning.
Community grief follows a death that began with an early morning call
The death has resonated beyond the gas station in South Hempstead, with people in neighboring Nassau County communities mourning a man they say was working to build a better life for his family. His death came after what police described as a robbery and assault outside the station.
For those who knew him, the loss is tied to both his work at the Baldwin barber shop and the violent circumstances at the Grand Avenue station. Police have not said when they expect to release additional information, and no court case has been announced.
