Crime & Safety
South Orange Police Blotter: Shoplifting Arrests, Armed Robbery
The following arrest information was supplied by the South Orange police department. It does not indicate a conviction.
- Damen Drakeford, 18, of Bushkill, Pa., was arrested on March 10 at 8:46 p.m., after officers responded to a call of juveniles being robbed by a group of teens in the area of Riggs Place and South Orange Avenue. The victims said a group of black youth, believed to be between 16 and 18 years old, robbed them of their cell phones, cash and food while they were walking on Riggs Place. Drakeford was arrested a short distance away from the scene after he was positively identified as one of the teens responsible for committing the robbery. The teens used intimidation and physical force to commit the robberies and no weapons were involved.
- Edward Phillips, 49, of Trenton, was arrested on March 11, at approximately 4:45 p.m. for shoplifting from the Pathmark after he was seen taking merchandise from a shelf and leaving without paying. Phillips was an employee with Pathmark at the time of the theft.
- Anthony McBride, 47, of East Orange, was arrested for shoplifting at approximately 4:25 p.m. on March 11 at the Pathmark. He was seen taking merchandise from a shelf and placing it into his coat. He was arrested without incident and processed.
- An employee at the Wine Emporium located on Valley St. said that on March 13 at 2:05 p.m., an unknown man removed a bottle of vodka and fled the store. The man is described as a black male, clean shaven, a bald head, 5'8" in height with a muscular build and was observed wearing a royal blue sweatshirt.
- An employee at the Delta gas station said at 9:50 p.m. on March 13, he was robbed of $45 worth of gas at gunpoint. A driver, described as a light skinned black man, heavyset, unshaven and wearing a black do-rag and a black t-shirt with "Police" written on the back, pulled into the station driving a tan Nissan Maxima and requested $45 in gas. When the employee requested payment, the driver brandished a black handgun and drove away with the nozzle to the gas pump still in the vehicle.
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