Five Men Charged in Two Robberies

East Brunswick Police arrested and charged four juveniles and one adult in connection with two separate robberies that occurred in the township on Monday, Aug. 1.

According to police, at approximately 5 a.m., Monday, Aug.1, a resident of the Crosspointe development was waiting on Renee Road for a taxi when five males in their late teens to early 20s walked past him.

The men then turned around and one approached the victim and asked him for money.  When he told the male that he had no money the male threatened him and then punched him in the stomach several times, according to police.  The group began to walk away but then returned and pushed him to the ground while they punched and kicked him. They took his Blackberry cell phone, a suitcase full of clothes and an IBM laptop and fled the area, police said.

The victim refused medical attention but subsequently went to his personal physician and may have sustained a fractured jaw.

Several hours later, at 1:58 p.m., an employee of American Office Mall, 275 Route 18, which backs up to Lake Avenue apartments, reported being the victim of a robbery.  The victim said that five young males approached him while he was working.  The group pushed him to the ground and began to kick and punch him before taking his cell phone and wallet and fleeing the area, police said.

The victim sustained cuts and bruised but refused medical attention.

Patrolman Chris Farrace responded to the area and observed an individual matching the description given out to the patrol units.  The individual entered an apartment on Lake Avenue.  Officer Farrace and Officer Manuel Blanco made contact with an individual at the apartment that they knew, from previous contacts, did not reside there.  While they began to talk with him four individuals jumped out the second floor balcony and fled the apartment.  Officers Farrace, Blanco, Craig Hoover and Tom Kienle all gave chase and apprehended all four suspects.  A fifth suspect was apprehended back at the apartment. 

Detective Ed Conlon who was assigned both investigations began to interview the victims and suspects.  A search of the apartment revealed proceeds from the first robbery.  As a result of the investigation and subsequent interviews all five suspects, four juveniles and one adult, were charged with two counts of robbery, assault and resisting arrest. 

One adult, Kris Yang, 19, of Lake Avenue, was charged with two counts of robbery.  He was transported to the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center in North Brunswick in lieu of $10,000 bail.

Four male juveniles all 16 years of age were charged with two counts of robbery, assault and resisting arrest.  All four juveniles were lodged at the Middlesex County Juvenile Detention Facility.