In March of 2021, when police charged a man with robbing and kidnapping a woman in Springs, community members were shocked to hear of it. A woman reported being robbed of thousands of dollars and her cellphone in broad daylight, as she sat in her car, parked at the Springs School around student dismissal time.
Fast forward a year: Jay Rowe of Springs, 48, pleaded guilty on Friday to first-degree robbery, second-degree kidnapping, and grand larceny, all felonies. Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice Richard Ambro is expected to sentence him on May 19; he could face as much as nine and a half years in prison plus five years of post-release supervision. He must also forfeit the $3,045 taken from the woman.
"This defendant stalked and preyed upon the victim here, and brazenly took by force what did not belong to him," County District Attorney Ray Tierney said in a statement. "His actions demand extensive prison time."
Mr. Rowe targeted a 38-year-old woman whom he had watched withdraw money from a local bank, the D.A. said. Police have not said which bank, and have not identified the woman other than to say she is also from Springs. He followed her to the school, got into the car with her, displayed a handgun, forced her to drive to a dead-end street, and demanded the cash. He fled on foot, Mr. Tierney said, but eventually turned himself in and was arrested in Massachusetts. East Hampton Town police had called him a "person of interest" during a two-week manhunt, and his DNA was found in the glove compartment of the victim's car.
The Springs School went on lockdown at the time of the robbery and kidnapping. A K-9 unit and a county police helicopter aided in the search. Following his arrest Mr. Rowe was remanded to the county jail in Riverside on $150,000 cash bail or $300,000 bond. Self-employed at the time as a mechanic, he has four children.
Assistant District Attorney Rose Romeo of the county's Major Crimes Bureau prosecuted the case. Mr. Rowe was represented by Colin Astarita of Southampton, who could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday.