By: Richard L. Smith
Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella has announced the arrest of two adults, Mr. Kevin Ulysses, 19, and Mr. Rahquan Brooks, 20, alongside two minors, following a series of armed robberies across Bergen County, New Jersey.
The arrests come after a thorough investigation spearheaded by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office, Ridgefield Park Police Department, and Palisades Park Police Department.
Bergen County officials said the crime spree began in the early hours of July 24, 2022, when several masked individuals, armed with what appeared to be a firearm, stormed into a gas station convenience store on Route 46 East in Ridgefield Park.
The robbers, who arrived in a vehicle stolen three days prior from Brooklyn, New York, forcibly opened the cash register and made off with roughly $3,000.
Shortly after, a similar armed robbery took place at another gas station on Abbott Avenue in Palisades Park, with the thieves stealing about $2,000.
The description of the culprits matched those involved in the previous incident in Ridgefield Park, linking the two crimes.
Law enforcement from Ridgefield Park, Palisades Park, and the Bergen County Sheriff's Office quickly responded, with detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office's Special Investigations Squad leading the subsequent investigation.
This effort resulted in the identification of Rahquan Brooks, Kevin Ulysses, and two juveniles as the suspects.
Kevin Ulysses was apprehended in New York City on January 4, 2024, on charges unrelated to the robberies. He was subsequently charged with multiple counts, including first-degree armed robbery and unlawful possession of a weapon.
Rahquan Brooks, already detained in Nassau County Jail for a separate matter, was served with similar charges on January 30, 2024.
The two minors involved were charged on February 9, 2024, facing allegations mirroring those of their adult counterparts.
The charges encompass first-degree armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and receiving stolen property.
