Teens arrested following robberies, and recovery of stolen vehicle on same night in Linden

LINDEN - Two handguns were seized and two stolen vehicles were recovered within an hour Monday during separate incidents.

Around 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 29 officers located a stolen vehicle parked on East Elizabeth Avenue near Ziegler Avenue, occupied by the driver, a 17-year-old Linden resident.

As officers approached the vehicle, the teen suddenly reversed the vehicle, striking one of the officers with the door before fleeing. A second suspect, a 15-year-old Newark boy, was arrested at the scene.

Police located the stolen vehicle after it crashed into a tree a few blocks away. The driver ran from the scene but was apprehended following a short chase. A .45 caliber airsoft gun with the orange tip removed was recovered from the vehicle, police said.

Then just before 8:30 p.m. Monday, officers responded to the 7-Eleven store, 2309 E. Edgar Road for a report of a robbery. The clerk reported that the suspect entered the store, brandished a handgun, and demanded money. The clerk complied and the man fled the scene, police said.

About 15 minutes later at 8:45 p.m. officers responded to Moe’s Southwest Grill, 1701 W. Edgar Road for a report of a second robbery. An employee reported a suspect entered the business brandishing a handgun before he reached over the counter, grabbed money from the drawer, and fled the scene, police said.

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Police determined the two robberies involved the same suspects. A short time later the suspect vehicle was found abandoned in the area of Pleasant and Linden avenues. Officers conducted a systematic search of the area with the assistance of officers from the Rahway Police Department, the New Jersey State Police Aviation Unit, and Union County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit.

The first suspect, a 17-year-old Bridgeton male was located and arrested on the 1900 block of West Elizabeth Avenue in Rahway. Detectives located and arrested the second suspect, Raheim Myers, 19, of East Orange, a short time later on the 2300 block of West Elizabeth Avenue. Detectives also recovered a black imitation firearm from the area, police said.

“As these jobs demonstrate, police work is often unpredictable and a seemingly routine situation can escalate very quickly,” Police Chief David Hart said. “We are extremely proud of the work done in this case, and we are grateful that police officers from here in Linden and across the state work tirelessly every day to stop these violent criminals and take them off our streets.”

Police said juvenile complaints were filed against the Linden teen for eluding, possession of a weapon, receiving stolen property, aggravated assault and resisting arrest. He was detained in the Essex County Juvenile Detention Facility pending an appearance in Family Court.

Juvenile complaints were filed against the Newark teen for receiving stolen property, possession of a weapon, and related charges. He was released to his guardian pending a Family Court appearance, police said.

Juvenile complaints were filed against the Bridgeton teen for robbery, weapons charges, possession of stolen property, aggravated assault and related charges. He was detained in the Essex County Juvenile Detention Facility pending a Family Court appearance.

Myers was charged with receiving stolen property, a third degree crime and transported to the Essex County Jail pending a Superior Court appearance.

The incidents remain under investigation. Anyone with information about these or any criminal activity is urged to contact the Linden Police Department Detective Bureau at 908-474-8537.

Email: srussell@gannettnj.com

Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Linden NJ: Teens arrested after robberies, stolen car