South Brunswick Convenience Store Robbed; Suspect Sought

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — The Stop & Go food store on Allston Road in Kendall Park was robbed earlier this October, and it was South Brunswick and Bordentown police working together that came up a warrant issued for one of the suspects, Jahmir Boyd-Ashley, pictured above.

The Stop & Go convenience store was robbed at 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 9, South Brunswick police said. Early that morning, Officer Mathew Haagood of the South Brunswick police department was dispatched there for a burglar alarm going off. When he arrived, he discovered the front glass door had been smashed with a brick.

A check of the store revealed merchandise had been stolen, which included cash, scratch-off lottery tickets, cigarettes, cigars and money orders. The owner estimated several thousands of dollars worth of items were stolen and damages were done. Surveillance footage of the incident showed two individuals wearing masks and gloves committing the burglary. Additional surveillance footage also showed a green coupe driving in the area of the Stop & Go Food Store prior to the burglary.

At 8 a.m. that day, South Brunswick detectives sent out an advisory to area law enforcement about the burglary and included surveillance images from the store. Just fifteen minutes later, at 8:15 a.m. that same day, Officer Keith Alexander of Bordentown Twp. police was called to a home near Rt. 130 in Bordentown Township for the report of found property. The homeowner told him that a large amount of money orders were found near his driveway. Officer Alexander realized the items he recovered matched the earlier bulletin issued by South Brunswick police.

Detectives from South Brunswick and Bordentown then canvassed local businesses near where the stolen items were recovered; they located surveillance footage showing two individuals walking into a nearby hotel with stolen property linked to the burglary. One of the individuals was later identified as Boyd-Ashley, 21, of Willingboro. Officers determined Boyd-Ashley was renting a room in the hotel.

Police executed search warrants on the hotel room and a green coupe parked in a nearby hotel lot. Inside the room, police said they recovered additional items stolen from the Stop & Go, and found clothing in the car that the suspects were seen wearing during the burglary.

Boyd-Ashley never returned to the hotel room. He has been charged with burglary, criminal mischief, and theft. He remains a fugitive.

“In less than 12 hours police linked a crime to a suspect 20 miles away," said South Brunswick Police Chief Raymond Hayducka. "It was the rapid collaboration of both police departments that led to the identification of the suspect and recovery of much of the stolen property. This case demonstrated excellent teamwork by everyone involved.”

South Brunswick police are actively attempting to locate Boyd-Ashley and still attempting to identify the second suspect. Police ask anyone with information to contact South Brunswick Police at (732) 329-4646.

Suspect photo released by South Brunswick police.