QUEENS — A career criminal broke into several Queens bodegas and fast-food restaurants, stealing ATMs and cash registers with nearly $45,000 inside — even breaking into one place twice, authorities said.
Robert Shoulders, 55, who has had at least 30 run-ins with the law dating back to 1983, was charged with 11 incidents, in which he broke into small businesses in Jamaica, Hollis, South Jamaica and Queens Village, police said.
Each time Shoulders, who had several accomplices, used crowbars, hammers or small electrical saws to cut the locks at bodegas and fast-food restaurants in the middle of the night, police said.
The men then took cash registers and ATMs, placed them on a hand truck, took them to a minivan and drove away, according to police and court records.
The burglars struck for the first time in May last year, but most of the incidents took place in November and December. The suspects also broke into three businesses in January, according to court records.
On Dec. 29, at about 2 a.m., the thieves tried to break into a deli on Liberty Avenue near 172nd Street in Jamaica, but fled after the alarm went off.
About 2 hours later, they broke into a Kennedy Fried Chicken on Hollis Avenue near Francis Lewis Boulevard in Queens Village, about 30 blocks away, where they stole an ATM containing about $2,530, court records show.
One business — Crown Fried Chicken and Pizza, on Farmers Boulevard, near 111th Road, in Hollis — was burglarized twice.
On June 11, Shoulders, according to the criminal complaint, broke into the fast-food restaurant and stole an ATM containing about $8,300 along with a cash register with approximately $1,500 inside.
The suspect and his accomplices broke into the same eatery on Dec. 10, and, again, stole an ATM, which this time contained $7,200, court records show.
The last incident took place on Jan. 5, when Shoulders broke into Quick Stop Mini Market on 112th Street, near 227th Street, in Queens Village, where he stole an ATM containing $6,000, according to the criminal complaint.
Shoulders was nabbed on Jan. 8, after an anti-crime officer recognized him in surveillance video, police said.
Shoulders, who was charged with multiple counts of burglary and grand larceny, is due back in court on Jan. 23.
His accomplices remain at large, police said.
Shoulders' criminal past includes arrests for criminal possession of stolen property, robbery, criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal possession of a weapon, forgery and aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle, police said.
The outcome of the cases was not clear.
His lawyer declined to comment.
