East Brunswick Police Arrest Armed-Robbery Suspect After Search

According to police:

At approximately 1 a.m., East Brunswick Police Units responded to Walgreen’s, 421 Ryders Lane, on the report of an armed robbery. The cashier advised arriving units that a young Asian male showed him a black handgun and demanded that he open the drawer and give him the money.

The cashier described him as a young Asian male who was wearing a mask and a black hooded sweatshirt carrying a dark colored gym bag. The cashier told the suspect that the drawer was locked as the suspect demanded money. The cashier then gave the suspect money out of his own pocket. After giving the suspect his money the suspect fled the store. 

East Brunswick Police Units with the assistance of Milltown PD, North Brunswick PD and Spotswood PD began to search for the suspect. Ptl. John Hoernlein Jr. observed an individual matching the description in the area of Milltown Road and Jensen Street. Ptl. Hoernlein approached the individual who was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and carrying a gym bag.

At some point the individual dropped the bag and again fled on foot. Ptl. Hoernlein gave chase until he lost the suspect in one of the backyards. Ptl. Hoernlein recovered an imitation handgun in the gym bag and a mask described by the cashier as the one used in the robbery. 

The suspect was observed in the area of Hilltop Boulevard. Ptl. Frank Sutter and Ptl. Michael Egan located the suspect in the backyard of a Hilltop residence. The suspect, identified as a 17 year old male from East Brunswick, resisted the officer’s commands but was subsequently taken into custody. 

The suspect was charged with robbery, resisting arrest, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose/imitation firearm, unlawful possession of a weapon and theft. He was transported to the Middlesex County Juvenile Detention Center. The money that was taken from the cashier was also recovered.