There has been a string of robberies throughout Union County in recent weeks. In the latest incident, two robbers hit service stations in Hillside and Union Township in a span of just six hours. In both recent attacks, the robbers wore hooded sweatshirts, one black and the other red or pink and came up behind the victims and grabbed them by the neck. In both attacks, the robbers were seen fleeing the area on foot and one victim saw them get onto bicycles that they had hidden a short distance away. In the weeks prior
Since April 19, robbers have attacked attendants at four other service stations, including two in Elizabeth, and one each in Linden and Roselle Park, officials have said. However, police today said they were uncertain if the latest robberies on Tuesday were related to the other attacks.
The crimes all appeared to share some similarities, most notably, that each time it was two men who attacked a worker, usually with one robber grabbing a victim from behind while the second attacker rummages through the worker’s pockets and stealing a few hundred dollars, according to police. Also it is important to note that in three of the cases, the victim reported feeling a gun or sharp object shoved into his chest or back.
There is a common misnomer among the general public that in order to commit an “armed robbery” you need a gun. However, this could not be farther from the truth. In fact, you do not even need a weapon, let alone a gun, at all to be guilty of 1st degree armed robbery. This is because the law only requires that the victim reasonably believe you have a weapon and you put the victim in fear of their safety or life because of that. Therefore, these suspects will most likely be charged with first degree robbery if you are subsequently arrested.
