Police announced the arrest of an 18-year-old man wanted in connection with a fake-date robbery scheme.
According to authorities, Xavier Medina, 18, on January 8th lured a 17-year-old North Bergen teen to the area of Lake Street and Broad Avenue shortly before 2 a.m. to allegedly meet a female he connected with on Instagram.
Officials say when the victim arrived he was approached by three robbers, one of whom was armed with a gun. The suspects subsequently took off with the victim’s his backpack, iPhone and AirPods.
A passing motorist ultimately assisted the victim by alerting police, who quickly searched the area with no luck.
Following an investigation, detectives identified Medina and raided his Lake Street home Tuesday. Officers reportedly recovered evidence in connection with this and possibly other crimes.
Police arrested and charged Medina with first-degree armed robbery, conspiracy and weapons possession.