A Buena Vista Township man was recently indicted for the armed robbery of a gas station in Franklin Township, New Jersey.
The incident occurred in early February. The Franklin Township Police Department received a call about a theft at the Exxon station located at 4491 Harding Highway in Franklin, NJ. When police officers got to the station, they spoke with a gas station attendant.
According to the gas station employee, the 33-year-old suspect approached the gas pump and asked the attendant for exactly $30 in fuel. However, when the attendant tried to collect the money, the suspect allegedly flashed a black handgun. Not only did the suspect reportedly refuse to pay; he also allegedly demanded that the worker hand over cash.
The victim managed to get into the gas station office, where he locked the door and called Franklin NJ police.
The suspect reportedly fled the scene in a blue Cadillac and drove in the direction of Route 55.
Franklin police investigated the incident and later identified the suspect through a photo lineup.
A day after the robbery, Franklin police and New Jersey State Police executed a search warrant at the suspect’s home. The suspect was placed under arrest at his residence.
According to authorities, the suspect admitted to having committed the armed robbery of the Franklin NJ gas station. Moreover, the suspect allegedly admitted to committing several other robberies in nearby areas.
The suspect, who lives in the Milmay section of Buena Vista Township, was charged with robbery and unlawful possession of a handgun. Now he has been indicted by a Gloucester County grand jury.
If the suspect is ultimately convicted on the armed robbery charges, he faces significant penalties. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:15-1, anyone who is armed with a deadly weapon while committing a theft can be charged with first degree robbery. A conviction on first degree armed robbery charges could result in a sentence of 10-20 years in NJ State Prison.
For more information about this case, go to the NJ.com article entitled “N.J. Man Arrested in Franklin Township Gas Station Armed Robbery.”
