Little Brother Arrested Related To Secaucus Gas Station Armed Robbery

SECAUCUS, NJ — Last Thursday, May 5, Secaucus Police detectives, along with Union City, Hoboken and North Bergen detectives, conducted a search warrant at a home on Davis Avenue in Hackensack.

The man who lived there, Joel Krecz, 35, had previously been charged with a string of armed robberies that all took place on the same Friday night into Saturday, April 30. Police say he robbed at least five businesses in Hudson County at gunpoint that night, including a liquor store in Hoboken, the Shell gas station on Rt. 3 in Secaucus and multiple stores in Jersey City.

Krecz had already been charged in those robberies, and taken into police custody.

Last Thursday, police searched his Hackensack apartment and said they recovered a stolen Smith & Wesson 5.56mm assault rifle, a loaded thirty-round “high capacity” magazine, a stolen .36 caliber Euroarms Model 1250, revolver, along with some 9mm and .40 caliber handgun ammunition.

The assault rifle was reported stolen following a home burglary in 2018 in Pennsylvania and the revolver was reported stolen from a store in Seattle in 1988.

Krecz's younger brother, Jacob Abreu, 26, was inside the apartment when it was raided by police.

Abreu was taken into police custody and charged with the following weapons offenses: Unlawful possession of an assault rifle, two counts of receiving stolen property and possession of a high-capacity magazine.

The Shell gas station on Rt. 3 has seen crime happen there in the past.

In February of this year, 2022, a woman and a baby were inside a parked car that had been left running when a man jumped inside it and drove off, according to police.

This happened at 6:05 p.m. on Feb. 12: The car owner, who met police in the parking lot, told police he left his 2022 Nissan Altima running in the gas station parking lot with his girlfriend and their baby inside. He then went into the station's convenience store.

As the man came out of the store, he said he saw a man jump into the car and drive away — with his girlfriend and their baby still inside. In a dramatic moment, the man said he ran over to the car and grabbed onto the driver's side door as it was pulling away, but he fell off and suffered minor injuries.

The suspect sped away toward the area of Clarendon and Seventh streets.

Police say the suspect then abandoned the stolen vehicle and fled on foot toward the catwalk that goes over Rt. 3. He was later arrested. The baby and the mother were not injured.

First report: Man Charged In Armed Robberies Of 5 Stores In Hudson County In 1 Night (May 6)

Man Steals Car With Baby, Mom Inside At Secaucus Gas Station: Police (Feb. 14)

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