Victim Was Followed From Hudson County To Edgewater, Then Robbed: Prosecutors

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — Five men from New York City and Nashville have been charged in connection with a string of armed robberies in two Bergen County towns, prosecutors said Friday. In one case, the victim was followed from Hudson County to an Edgewater shopping center, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said that in all three robberies, suspects brandished weapons before robbing the victims.

Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrests of Albeiro Melendez-Gerardi (a.k.a. Cesar Alexander Lopez Garcia), 28, of New York City, Melvin Ochoa, 23, of New York City, Carlos Olivera-Natera (a.k.a. Annel Nunez), 28, of the Bronx, Luis Pacheco Tovar, 28, of the Bronx, and Victor Noguera-Leon of 29, of Nashville, after an investigation.

On Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, at approximately 3:11 p.m., officers from the Edgewater Police Department responded to a report of an armed robbery on River Road.

Officers determined that two suspects approached the victim at a shopping center, brandished a handgun, and stole the victim’s watch while a lookout stood by, prosecutors said. The suspects fled the area in separate getaway vehicles that were operated by other men who were waiting nearby, they said.

Prosecutors determined that the victim was likely followed by the suspects from Hudson County to Edgewater, where
the armed robbery took place, they said.

Then, on Nov. 3, at approximately 10:05 p.m., officers from the Palisades Park Police Department responded to a report of a stabbing on East Palisades Boulevard.

Officers determined that two suspects approached the victim as he parked his car in his driveway, grabbed the victim from behind, held the victim down, and stabbed him. As a lookout stood by, "The suspects forcibly removed the victim’s watch while one of the suspects stated that he had a handgun," prosecutors said.

The suspects fled the area in separate getaway vehicles that were operated by other men who were waiting nearby, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors determined that the victim was likely followed by the suspects from New York City to Palisades Park.

On Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023, at approximately 3:51 p.m., officers from the Edgewater Police Department responded to a report of an armed robbery on River Road.

In this robbery, two people approached a woman when she got out of her vehicle at a shopping center and brandished a gun while a lookout stood by. One person covered the victim's mouth while the other grabbed her watch.

A description was broadcast of two getaway vehicles. One was stopped by the Port Authority police a short time later.

The driver was identified as Carlos Olivera-Natera. He was charged with armed robbery for that incident.

A continuing months-long investigation by detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office into all three incidents determined that the five men operated as a group and were involved in at least one of the three armed robberies, they said.

The men were arrested late in 2023 through early in 2024 and charged with various offenses related to the armed robberies, prosecutors said.