Newark NJ police arrested two men accused of committing an armed robbery at a local liquor store.
According to authorities, the suspects, along with a third man, entered a Washington Avenue liquor store and held up the store’s owner at gunpoint.
Newark police were alerted to the robbery by an alarm which was activated during the incident. When officers arrived at the scene, the owner of the liquor store told them that the suspects had fled in a dark-colored GMC truck. The owner also told officers that the suspects drove towards Crawford Street.
Officers quickly canvassed the area and located the vehicle, which was reportedly parked on Crawford Street. The officers then observed three men inside a white Jeep parked next to the truck.
While the officers waited for backup to arrive, one of the suspects exited the jeep. The officers then instructed the man to stop; however, he did not obey the officers’ commands.
The officers quickly moved to place the suspect under arrest. They also arrested one of the other men in the jeep. However, the third man in the jeep exited the vehicle and fled the area on foot; he remains at large.
According to police, officers later found a loaded handgun in the jeep. Officers also reportedly found a number of items reported stolen from the liquor store.
After being arrested, the two suspects were charged with unlawful possession of a weapon. They could also be charged with armed robbery in connection with the theft.
If the suspects are eventually charged with armed robbery, they could be subject to significant penalties. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:15-1, robbery is classified as a first degree felony when the offender uses a deadly weapon. This means that a conviction can potentially result in a sentence of 10–20 years in New Jersey State Prison for each of the suspects.
For more information, access the NJ.com article entitled “Two Caught Shortly After Robbing Newark Liquor Store, Police Say.”
