Marlboro house guest was in on planned home invasion, prosecutor says
MARLBORO – A Virginia couple has been charged with conspiring to orchestrate an armed home invasion and robbery at a township home where one of them was a guest earlier this fall, acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced Thursday.
Acori Knox, 21, of Hampton, Virginia and Lauren McNeil, 24, of Newport News, Virginia are each charged with second-degree conspiracy to commit burglary, second-degree conspiracy to commit robbery and second-degree attempted burglary, according to a statement from the Prosecutor’s Office.
The alleged conspiracy unfolded shortly after 5:30 a.m. on Sept. 24, when Marlboro Police officers responded to a local neighborhood for a report of an attempted break-in at a residence. The neighborhood was not identified.
The officers learned that a man — later identified as Knox — had just fled the scene in a dark-colored Cadillac sedan with Virginia license plates, minutes after he had attempted to force his way into the home through a rear patio door while brandishing an AK-47-style rifle, according to the Prosecutor’s Office.
A patrolman quickly located the vehicle and initiated a pursuit, but was forced to break it off when the suspect’s vehicle reached excessive speeds that endangered the public, the statement said.
McNeil was one of several people who were at the victim’s home as guests, according to the Prosecutor’s Office.
The Major Crimes Bureau of the Prosecutor’s Office and the Marlboro Police Department determined that the man who had tried to force his way into the home was in fact McNeil’s boyfriend. An investigation revealed that McNeil and Knox had been in contact with one other via text messages before the crime and had organized the robbery together. The plan called for the homeowner to be restrained while he was robbed of cash and other personal effects, the Prosecutor’s Office said.
Both defendants were arrested without incident on Wednesday in Newport News, Virginia. Extradition proceedings are underway and a first appearance and detention hearing is expected to take place in state Superior Court in Freehold.
Knox has also been charged with first-degree attempted robbery, second-degree eluding police and three counts of second-degree weapons offenses, the statement said.
If convicted, Knox and McNeil could spend decades in state prison. The case has been assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Caitlin J. Sidley of the Major Crimes Bureau.
It was not known Thursday night whether Knox and McNeil had retained legal counsel.The local police departments in Hampton and Newport News, Virginia, and the Commonwealth Attorney’s Offices in both cities assisted in the investigation.
“This case has been marked by consistently stellar investigative work throughout, from a swift initial response that very well may have prevented a far worse outcome all the way through the identification of these suspects and their arrests yesterday,” Santiago said. “It’s also a prime example of how powerfully effective collaborative efforts involving multiple agencies can be, all in an overarching effort to ensure that public safety is maintained throughout our communities.”
Contact Asbury Park Press Erik Larsen at elarsen@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Marlboro NJ home invasion attempt planned by Virginia duo
