Franklin Lakes police looking for witness to armed robbery of video game store
Picture of potential witness from the surveillance cameras
Franklin Lakes police are looking for a potential witness to an armed robbery of a local video game store last month. According to the NJ.com article,
“On Dec. 26, an employee at the GameStop on Franklin Avenue reported that a tall male wearing a black ski mask entered the store and displayed a dark automatic handgun before demanding cash. He made off with around $400 from the register, police said.”
Franklin Lakes police have been unable to identify the suspect. However, they have identified a possible witness on surveillance tapes wearing a tan and white jacket over a red shirt. If anyone can identify this white male from the surveillance video, please contact Franklin Lakes police department at 201-891-3131.
In New Jersey, N.J.S.A. 2C:15-1 governs robbery charges and provides in pertinent part:
§ 2C:15-1. Robbery
a. Robbery defined. A person is guilty of robbery if, in the course of committing a theft, he:
(1) Inflicts bodily injury or uses force upon another; or
(2) Threatens another with or purposely puts him in fear of immediate bodily injury; or
(3) Commits or threatens immediately to commit any crime of the first or second degree.
An act shall be deemed to be included in the phrase “in the course of committing a theft” if it occurs in an attempt to commit theft or in immediate flight after the attempt or commission.
b. Grading. Robbery is a crime of the second degree, except that it is a crime of the first degree if in the course of committing the theft the actor attempts to kill anyone, or purposely inflicts or attempts to inflict serious bodily injury, or is armed with, or uses or threatens the immediate use of a deadly weapon.
The suspect in this case would be a first degree armed robbery with a punishment of ten (10) to twenty (20) years in prison. Also, the defendant must serve 85% of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole under the No Early Release Act (“NERA”).
