5 Arrested In South Brunswick Gas Station Shooting

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — The shooting of a gas station attendant on Rt. 27 that stunned South Brunswick this past fall was the work of a criminal gang operating out of New Brunswick, police announced Wednesday. The same men were also linked to a carjacking attempt this past September in Monmouth Junction.

The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office announced Wednesday they made seven arrests total in dismantling the gang, and five of those were charged with the gas station shooting and the carjacking.

The Oct. 15 shooting at the BP gas station was part of a crime spree in Middlesex County that started in September and lasted all fall. Most of the crimes occurred in New Brunswick, but would sometimes spill over into suburban areas, police said.

“The random nature and level of violence this gang of suspects committed is extremely rare for our community," said South Brunswick Police Chief Raymond Hayducka. "The capture of these suspects is a direct result of the coordination and cooperation of several law enforcement agencies. I want to thank the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and the New Brunswick Police Department along with our State and Federal law enforcement partners for helping us to bring an end to this crime spree.”

The 60-year-old attendant at the BP Gas Station on Rt. 27 at Alston Road was shot several times at 4:15 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 15. Police said it was the result of a botched robbery.

The same suspects are linked to an earlier carjacking attempt that took place on Beachwood Court, in the Monmouth Junction section of South Brunswick at 2:40 a.m. on Sept. 16. The following five men were arrested and charged in both incidents:

Anthony Pinson a/k/a “Smoke”, 25, of Franklin Park in Somerset County was charged with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, receiving stolen property, possession of a community gun, and being a certain person not to have a weapon.

Paul Sexton a/k/a “Munch”, 21, of New Brunswick, Danique Simpson a/k/a “Biz”, 24, of South Plainfield, Shaheed Wroten a/k/a “Gleese”, 22, of New Brunswick and Ashley Stewart, 24, of Piscataway were all charged with conspiracy to commit armed robbery, receiving stolen property and possession of a community gun.

The gas station attendant was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and he recovered from his injuries. He was kept under guarded police custody while at Robert Wood Johnson. Photo from the crime scene released by South Brunswick police