Sheriff Offers Reward for Armed Robber

The Essex County Sheriff's Office posted a $5,000 cash reward on Thursday for information leading to the arrest of two men wanted in connection with eleven armed robberies of convenience stores, liquor stores and gas stations in towns in three North Jersey counties since February 1, said Sheriff Armando Fontoura.

One of the men has been identified as having robbed and shot the owner of MS&K Confectionery in Maplewood on April 1, said Fontoura. The man was also recently identified as allegedly robbing a Belleville convenience store on April 14 and being part of a two-man armed robbery at a liquor store in Linden on April 17.

In both incidents, the man was carrying a red messenger bag on his shoulder, which contained zipties that he used to tie the clerk in Linden.

"We believe the man in the Belleville photos is the same as the man in Maplewood," said Det. Lt. Michael Marucci of the Maplewood Police Department. Marucci said the man in the Maplewood robbery and shooting carried the same bag and was wearing the same hat.

Law enforcement authorities also connected the man to the March robbery of a Krauszer's convenience store in Bloomfield where two armed men in facemasks reportedly held the clerk at bay as they took an undisclosed amount of cash and cigarettes before fleeing foot.  

Authorities released four surveillance photos of the man in the Belleville robbery, which are attached to this article.

He is described as black, wearing reading type glasses, a black baseball cap with a black Boston Red Sox logo and a gold sticker on the brim, having multiple tattoos on both forearms. He has a large build and is approximately 6'2 and 225 pounds. In two of the photos, he is carrying a red messenger bag with a black stripe across it and in one he is wearing black mechanic style gloves.

He is seen carrying a large silver automatic pistol, possibly .45 caliber. The man was observed circling the block in a dark compact car, which was captured on store and neighbor video surveillance, with the car possibly having a rear donut or rear tire without a hubcap.

Anyone able to identify the man or requesting further info is asked to contact Belleville Det. Joseph Mundy at 973-450-3351, Kearny Police Det. Sgt. John View at 862-215-5803 or Maplewood Police Det. Ray Rosania at 973-761-7927. All calls to law enforcement will be kept confidential.

This is the second time the Sheriff's Office has posted a cash reward in connection with the Maplewood shooting. .

            Among the locations robbed are:

•             Feb. 1, 2013 – convenience store in Linden 
•             Feb. 1, 2013 – gas station in Newark 
•             Feb. 2, 2013 – Shoppers Express in Belleville 
•             Feb. 11, 2013 – Krauszer’s in Kearny 
•             Feb. 13, 2013 – Krauszer’s in Bloomfield 
•             Feb. 19, 2013 – convenience store in Newark 
•             March 29, 2013 – Krauszer’s in Bloomfield 
•             Apr. 1, 2013 – liquor store in Maplewood (clerk shot in chest) 
•             Apr. 17, 2013 – convenience store in Belleville 
•             Apr. 17, 2013 – liquor store in Linden 
•             Apr. 24, 2013 – Krauszer’s in West Orange

For more information on the reward offer contact the Essex County Sheriff’s Office at 973-621-4105; for more information about the armed robberies contact the detectives listed above or the municipal police department.