Bloomfield Resident Accused Of Armed Robbery Attempt In Wallington

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — A Bloomfield resident has been accused of trying to rob several juveniles at gunpoint in Wallington, authorities announced Tuesday.

Christopher Pacheco-Rosario, 19, of Bloomfield, has been charged with armed robbery and several other offenses in connection with an incident that took place on Oct. 24, according to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.

Here’s what happened, prosecutors said:

“On Tuesday, October 24, 2023, at approximately 6:25 p.m., the Wallington Police Department received a report of an armed robbery that occurred at Samuel Nelkin County Park in Wallington. Five juvenile victims arranged to purchase a bicycle from Facebook Marketplace and were to meet the seller at the park. The suspect arrived at the park on a bicycle, brandished a firearm and attempted to rob the victims, who all fled on foot.”

The Wallington Police Department notified the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigations Squad, which launched an investigation and identified Pacheco-Rosario as a suspect.

On Monday, the Bloomfield Police Department arrested Pacheco-Rosario on charges related to a separate incident, which wasn’t identified in an initial statement.

The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office charged Pacheco-Rosario in connection with the Oct. 24 robbery in Wallington after his arrest in Bloomfield. He has since been charged with armed robbery, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, being a certain person not to possess a weapon, and aggravated assault by pointing a firearm.

Pacheco-Rosario was transported to the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark pending an initial court appearance.

Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella thanked the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, the Wallington Police Department and Bloomfield Police Department for assisting with the investigation.

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