Clifton New Jersey police is trying to identify and locate two suspects who allegedly committed separate armed robberies on consecutive days last month.
The first theft offense involved a male suspect and a female suspect who stalked the victim before approaching him in the Botany Village section of Clifton, NJ. The suspects reportedly moved toward the victim as he walked near Arthur Street and Center Street and threatened him with multiple weapons. The male suspect reportedly held a knife and the female suspect reportedly held a handgun when they ordered the victim to hand over his personal property.
Once the suspects had the victim’s wallet and cell phone, they allegedly fled the area on foot and headed toward Ackerman Avenue.
The victim later alerted the Clifton Police Department, which sent officers to the scene of the robbery. However, the suspects were already gone by the time police officers arrived.
The second robbery was allegedly committed just a day later and near the location of the first robbery. This time, a man and a woman walked toward a different victim on Ackerman Avenue, near the intersection with Sears Place, and threatened to shoot him with a handgun.
The male suspect, who wore a ski mask over his face and brandished the firearm, allegedly took the victim’s wallet and other items. Both suspects then fled the scene on foot.
Although it is unclear at this time whether the same suspects committed both robberies, Clifton NJ police is investigating both theft incidents as possibly being connected.
If and when Clifton detectives can identify and capture the suspects, the culprits would probably face criminal charges for robbery. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:15-1, a person who commits a theft while using a deadly weapon such as a knife or handgun can be charged with a first degree crime. A conviction for first degree armed robbery could result in a sentence of 10-20 years in NJ State Prison.
For more information about this case, view the NJ.com article, “Police Seek Suspects in Gunpoint Robberies.”