2 Montclair Robberies Reported: Group Beating, Sneaker Switch

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A pair of robberies were recently reported in Montclair. During one incident, a group of 10 male suspects beat up a victim and stole his cell phone, and in the other, an attempt to buy a pair of sneakers turned into an armed robbery, police said.

According to the Montclair Police Department, the first robbery took place on Feb. 24 at Nishuane Park.

The victim told officers that he arranged to meet with a man at the park at 11 p.m. via a mutual acquaintance to buy a pair of sneakers. But when the deal went down, the seller produced a box with rocks inside instead of the shoes.

The seller then brandished a silver revolver and demanded that the buyer hand over the $350 that he agreed to pay for the sneakers. He took the money and fled towards Harrison Avenue and Oak Street, police said.

Nobody was hurt during the robbery, police said.

The victim said he only knows the suspect as “J.” He described the suspect as a male between 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 9 inches with a slim build, wearing a dark-colored, short-sleeved shirt and glasses.

ELMWOOD AVENUE BEATING, ROBBERY

Another robbery took place on Elmwood Avenue around 9:15 p.m. on Monday, Montclair police said.

The victim told officers that a group of about 10 male suspects wearing dark, hooded clothes approached him and began to make fun of his appearance. One of the suspects allegedly told him “I’m gonna see you later.”

After a brief exchange of words, the group began to assault the victim and stole his cell phone, police said.

The victim suffered abrasions, bruising and swelling to his face and forehead, police said.

The victim described his assailant as a 19-year-old male with short, curly black hair. He was wearing a red, hooded sweatshirt, police stated.

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