Bloomfield Gas Station Robbed; Police Charge East Orange Teen

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Bloomfield police arrested a teen suspected of robbing the Sunoco gas station last week, apprehending him a short distance away in Newark, authorities said.

Mickens J. Meranville, 18, of East Orange, was charged with robbery, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes and three counts of aggravated assault.

According to the Bloomfield Police Department, the robbery took place at 4:36 p.m. on Oct. 30 at the Sunoco gas station at 72 Bloomfield Avenue.

A male suspect brandishing a handgun entered the Sunoco and demanded the store attendant hand over money from the register. The clerk gave the robber $1,696 and he fled the scene, police said.

The clerk gave police a description of the suspect, and a short time later, Bloomfield officers found a person matching the description on Abington Avenue near North 11th Street in Newark.

Police stopped and secured the suspect – later identified as Meranville – finding a plastic Sunoco bag with cash inside. Officers also found the handgun allegedly used in the robbery behind some bushes two blocks away.

Public Safety Director Samuel DeMaio credited the arrest to the quick action of officers and “accurate information given by the store attendant.”

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