Man Charged With Armed Robbery At South Brunswick Gas Station

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — A South Brunswick police officer who was off duty at the time recognized a unique-looking Honda Accord as being involved in a Rt. 1 gas station robbery, and his alertness led to the arrest of a man who is believed to be responsible for half a dozen gas station robberies in Central Jersey in the past few months, say police.

Last Wednesday, Oct. 9 the Valero gas station on Rt. 1 and Raymond Road was robbed. At 1:40 p.m. that day the suspect, an African-American man, pointed a gun at the gas station attendants, demanded money, and fled in a Honda Accord, South Brunswick police said.

That robbery matched similar robberies of gas stations and convenience stores in central New Jersey dating back to August, police said.

Two days later, at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 11 Detective Rick Delucia was off duty and pulled into a Rt. 1 strip mall near Henderson Road. It was there that he observed a Honda Accord pull into the strip mall that appeared to match the suspect's car seen on video at the Valero gas station robbery on Wednesday.

Delucia called South Brunswick Detective Bryan Sites and Franklin Police Detective Ordell Taylor about what he saw.

Taylor said he had enhanced video from a robbery in Franklin and the Honda Accord had unique features. Delucia confirmed the vehicle he was watching had the same features (police did not say what those features are).

The driver of the car had gone into one of the strip mall businesses and detectives waited to speak with him. As the driver, Dionicio Saravia, 40, of North Brunswick came out, he noticed the detectives approaching him and fled, said police.

His car was chased into the Royal Oaks apartment complex, where the police chase eventually capturing him running through a patch of woods.

A search of Saravia's home and the Honda Accord turned up evidence that linked him to the gas station robberies, said police. He was charged with robbery, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose, hindering apprehension and being a fugitive from justice.

Saravia was fugitive from authorities in Pennsylvania at the time of his arrest. He remains in the Middlesex County Correction Center.

“They say police officer are never off duty, and this case just proves it," said South Brunswick Police Chief Raymond Hayducka.