Teens Robbed at Gunpoint in Memorial Park

Editor's note: One person's name was removed from this report because his or her charges were dismissed.

Five local teens were robbed at gunpoint in Memorial Park a little after 1 a.m. on July 3. Two crimes with similarities were also committed in South Orange shortly thereafter. Captain Paul Conlon of the Maplewood Police reports that Maplewood and South Orange Detective Bureaus are working together to investigate the crimes due to the similarities.

According to a parent of one of the victims of the Memorial Park robbery, the teens were "hanging out" at the picnic tables and swings near the old ice house near the corner of Valley Street and Oakview Avenue. The teens reported that four people got out of a nearby minivan—three young men and one young woman.

Said the parent, "The young woman disappeared, and two of the guys walked around the greenhouse, while the other on approached the kids. He first asked them for drugs ('Got any weed?') then when they said no, asked them for money. They said they had none, and then he took a small gun out of the waistband of his jeans and showed it to them, pointing it at one of them, and said, are you sure you don't have any money? So, they turned over their phones, i-Pods, and wallets. The two other guys had come around the greenhouse by then, and they all collected the goods, and got back in the van with the girl and drove off."

The police interviewed the teens at the police station for several hours and brought them back to the scene of the crime.

The Maplewood Police confirmed the incident with this item in the weekly blotter:

Four teenage males and one teenage female reported being robbed at gun point at approximately 12:45 am [on July 3, 2010]. The five youths were sitting at a picnic table near the skate house in Memorial Park when they were approached by three black males who demanded the victims turn over their valuables. One of the black male actors produced a silver handgun from his waistband when the teens hesitated to turn over their property. Taken from the juveniles were five cell phones, an IPOD, and a small amount of cash. The actor with the handgun was described as a black male, 19-21 years of age; 6'2" to 6'4" tall, thin build, with a full scruffy beard. He was wearing tan cargo shorts and a graphic white t-shirt. The other two black males were described as being between 5'4" and 5'8" tall wearing black t-shirts and both were between 19 and 21 years of age. The suspects were last seen getting into a red Chrysler or Dodge minivan that was parked on Oakview Ave. A black female was believed to be driving the minivan. A short time later South Orange Police reported two similar incidents with the same suspects and van. Maplewood Detectives are working closely with members of the South Orange Police Department to investigate the incidents. There were no injuries reported by the victims.

As a parent of one of the teens who was victimized said, "I had no idea the park was quite so dangerous after dark and think other parents ought to know."

Two other items were reported in the weekly Maplewood Police blotter:

June 30, 2010: Burglary to Garage- Just before 10:00 pm an Elmwood Avenue resident heard their unlocked garage door open and then observed several black males enter the garage and remove two bicycles. The actors were described as approximately 13-15 years of age. One was wearing a red t-shirt and another was wearing a grey t-shirt. The two bikes stolen were described as a dark blue Roadmaster and a light blue Power Climber.

July 3, 2010: Robbery Arrest- Three adults and one juvenile were arrested and charged with robbery and conspiracy to commit Robbery for an incident that occurred near Harvard Ave and Bowdoin St just after 9:00pm. The victim, a 15-year-old Maplewood boy, was walking home when a dark colored SUV pulled alongside him and three black males got out and demanded his ITouch and headphones. The victim attempted to run but was grabbed by one of the actors and held until the ITouch was turned over. The three actors then got back into the SUV and fled towards Valley St. Ptl. Chris Black, while checking the area for the suspects, located a 2005 BMW X5 traveling on Valley St. After stopping the X5 and investigating, the proceeds of the robbery were located inside the SUV. All four occupants were taken into custody. Three adults are identified as: Ifeanyichi Asoluka, 18, of 4th Street South Orange, Jarrett Adams, 18, of Crawford St., Newark, and [Name Withheld], 18, of South 13th St., Newark. The fourth suspect is a 17 year old male from Elizabeth. The juvenile was turned over to the Essex County Youth House and the three adults were taken to the Essex County Jail. The BMW was also impounded.