Police arrested a man accused of committing an armed robbery at the Best Western hotel in Rockaway Township, New Jersey.
According to authorities, the 27-year-old suspect tried to steal cash from a register behind the front desk. When a hotel clerk saw the theft and attempted to intervene, the suspect allegedly took out a pellet gun and pointed it at the clerk. Prosecutors later said that the clerk believed the pellet gun was a real handgun.
The suspect reportedly fled the scene with $324 stolen from the cash register.
Rockaway Township NJ police were called to the scene a short time later. The clerk provided police with a description of the suspect and also notified investigators that the suspect was a “frequent guest” at the hotel.
Police officers were able to track down the 27-year-old suspect the next day. When police found the suspect, he was reportedly still in possession of the pellet gun. The gun was identified as a black Walther P99.
The suspect now faces charges for armed robbery and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
Additionally, police allegedly found the suspect in possession of cocaine. As a result, the suspect has also been charged with possession of cocaine.
Investigators said that the suspect made incriminating admissions while he was being arrested.
After being placed under arrest and questioned by police, the suspect was transported to the Morris County Correctional Facility in Morristown, New Jersey. He was initially being held at the jail in lieu of $200,000 bail.
The suspect recently appeared in Morris County Superior Court, also located in Morristown NJ, for a bail review hearing. The suspect told the judge that he has spent some time at a rehabilitation facility and is trying to get better. At the conclusion of the hearing, the superior court judge lowered the suspect’s bail to $125,000. However, there is no 10-percent cash option for bail.
To learn more about this case, go to the NJ.com article entitled “Man Accused of Armed Robbery at Motel Was Occasional Guest, Report Says.”