Crime & Safety
Reward Offered for Information Leading to Arrest of Armed Robbery Suspects
Police are offering a cash reward leading to the arrest of two men suspected in a rash of armed gas station robberies in Essex and Union counties.
Essex County law enforcement has announced that they are offering a cash reward for information leading to the capture of two men, who police believe are responsible for a string of armed gas station robberies, including on June 18.
The Crimestoppers program is offering up to $2,000 to anyone with information that leads to the arrest of the two men, said Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura.
On June 18, an attendant at the Denco on Springfield Avenue in Maplewood reported that two armed men allegedly got away with between $900-$1,000 shortly after 5 p.m. today when they held up the Denco gas station located at 2018 Springfield Ave.
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The men were described as African-American and between 30-40 years of age, according to station attendant Buta Singh. The men fled the scene in a gold pickup truck.
At a a description was given of one of the suspects; he is described by police as a black male, approximately 35 years old and between 5-foot, 7-inches and 5-foot, 9-inches tall. He was also sporting a pointy beard. The two suspects in that June 20 gas station armed robbery fled in a gold-colored Dodge Stratus.
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Police believe the two men are also responsible for gas station robberies spanning both Essex and Union counties, including Bloomfield, Newark, Maplewood, Irvington, Nutley, East Orange, Linden and Union.
A ; police did not say if that incident was related.
Maplewood Police Captain Paul Conlon said that the Maplewood PD Detective Bureau believes that the individuals involved in robberies in the other towns may be the same individuals involved in the June 18 Denco incident "based on the similarities in the physical and vehicle descriptions." Said Conlon, "Maplewood Detectives are working closely with the other the law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation and hope that we can bring this investigation to a conclusion shortly."
Anyone with information related to this crime can contact the Maplewood Detective Bureau at 973-762-3400.
- Maplewood Patch Editor Mary Mann contributed to this article.
