Princeton Junction Man Charged With Beating, Robbing Liquor Store Employee: Police

BRICK. NJ — A Mercer County man has been charged with robbery after he hit a liquor store employee over the head and stole the store's night deposit from his pants pocket on Friday night, Brick Township police said Saturday.

Michael Martinez, 20, of the Princeton Junction section of West Windsor, was arrested and charged with robbery, theft, possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes, police said.
Police were called to Wine World at 2085 Route 88 in Brick shortly after 10 p.m. for a report of a robbery, police said. When Officers John Scott and David Thergesen arrived, they found the victim in the parking lot with an injury to his head, police said. The man told police the suspect, later identified as Martinez, had hit him in the head several times with a large stick, knocking the victim to the ground, police said.

Martinez then pulled the night deposit from the victim's pants, police said. A fellow employee overheard the struggle and gave chase as Martinez ran off toward Coolidge Drive, but the second employee lost sight of him, police said.

Officers saturated the area in an attempt to locate the suspect and were assisted by officers from the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department who were nearby on an unrelated matter, police said. Sheriff's Officer Wiekichoski and his K-9 partner Jax assisted in tracking Martinez to a wooded area at Roosevelt Drive and Coolidge Drive, where he was located trying to conceal himself in the heavy brush, police said.

Officer Dominick Puccio and Sheriff Officer Wiekichoski arrested Martinez and recovered the weapon and the stolen cash, police said.

Martinez was charged on a warrant and was taken to the Ocean County Jail under the guidelines set by bail reform, police said.

The victim was treated for his injuries at the scene and refused any further treatment, police said.

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