Long Island man charged with stealing cash from charity box at Islamic center in Hewlett

HEWLETT, Long Island (WABC) -- A man is under arrest on Long Island after police say he broke into an Islamic center and stole money out of the charity box.

According to police, Huzaifa Shafeeq, 22, of Valley Stream entered Five Towns Islamic Center in Hewlett through a window on Dec. 25th and again on Jan. 1st and removed an undisclosed amount of cash.

He was arrested at his home without incident.

Shafeeq is charged with third-degree burglary.

Islamic Center board member Iqbal Rasheed says the amount taken wasn't large. He says the center's leaders felt the thief needed help, so they called police.

He says he doesn't know Shafeeq personally.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)