When Amityville Village Police officers approached three youths last week, they knew almost immediately that the iPods they were carrying were likely not their own. The clue was in the music. Kids today just don't listen to the Bee Gees and Barbara Streisand.

"We saw the three youths, and they fit the description we had received earlier about suspicious youths loitering on East Lake Drive," said Sgt. Brian Burton. "We approached them and asked them what kind of music they had on the iPods. They couldn't give us an answer. When we checked, we realized these were not their iPods and were likely the ones stolen from a house the day before."

One of the youths confessed to breaking into homes in Amityville and implicated the other two. They werearrested and charged Sept. 26, shortly after 3 p.m. The arrests were made moments before a second victim at 29 West Lake Drive called police to report the robbery of jewelry and personal items.

The incidents began Thursday, Sept. 25 when a resident called police to say that someone had broken screens on windows at her home in what appeared to be an unsuccessful attempt to break in. The following day, a resident at 59 West Lake Drive called to report that someone had broken into his house and stolen iPODS and cash. Hours later, another resident called to report that three youths were outside of 30 East Lake Drive, one with a grey hooded sweatshirt and appeared suspicious.

APOs Dave Smith, John Juliano and Sgt. Brian Burton responded to the area and observed three youths fitting the description standing at Bayview Avenue and Avon Place. As they approached the three, they saw that two had iPODs. Recalling the theft of the iPODs the day before, they took them into custody.

Moments later a call came in from a resident at 29 West Lake Drive reporting that someone had ransacked an apartment in her home and taken a large amount of jewelry. Upon searching the youths at the Police Station, police found jewelry in one suspect's pockets, which was later identified as having been taken from 29 West Lake Drive.

"It was nice to be able to report to the residents that we were able to recover a lot of the stolen property," said Burton.

"This was an excellent sample of police working together and being at the right place at the right time," said Lt. Gerard Gralton. "These officers did a great job."

Two of the youths arrested were juveniles; their names were withheld by police. The third was identified as Khabir Burgess, 16, of 90 Offaly St., North Amityville.

The investigation is continuing. Anyone with information on the burglaries is being asked to call the First Squad at 631-854-8100.