Crime & Safety
Reward Offered for Information Leading to Arrest of Armed Robbery Suspects
Police are offering a cash reward leading to the arrest of two men suspected in a rash of armed gas station robberies in Essex and Union counties.
Essex County law enforcement announced today that they are offering a cash reward for information leading to the capture of two men, who police believe are responsible for a string of armed gas station robberies, including three in Bloomfield over the past week.
The Crimestoppers program is offering up to $2,000 to anyone with information that leads to the arrest of the two men, said Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura.
Two of the robberies in Bloomfield occurred on May 17. The most recent happened on Monday at the Valero station on Bloomfield Avenue.
Find out what's happening in Bloomfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Police say that shortly before 5:30 p.m. one of the suspects approached a station attendant and threatened them with a handgun. As a result, the attendant handed over an undisclosed amount of cash before the suspects fled westbound on Ward Street.
Surveillance footage obtained by police shows a gold-colored Dodge Stratus that was used by the suspects in Monday's robbery.
Find out what's happening in Bloomfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
One of the suspects is described by police as a black male, approximately 35 years old and between 5-foot, 7-inches and 5-foot, 9-inches tall. He was also sporting a pointy beard.
Police believe the two men are also responsible for gas station robberies spanning both Essex and Union counties, including Newark, Maplewood, Irvington, Nutley, East Orange, Linden and Union.
Anyone with information on the robberies should contact Bloomfield Police Sgt. Steven Dunn at (973) 680-4092 or call the 24-hour Essex County Sheriff's Crimestoppers hotline at (973) 877-8477. All calls to police are kept confidential.
