Two men who live in a Newark housing complex in the city's North Ward were arrested in connection with an armed robbery of a Belleville deli where the owner suffered injuries after being slashed in the stomach.
Police charged Thomas Moore, 24, and Zachary Hoger, 22, both from Newark’s Stephen Crane Village, remained lodged at the Essex County Correctional Facility Friday on charges connecting them to the May 14 robbery at Pat’s Village Deli at 7 Newark Ave., and four other area robberies authorities said.
Police said the men, one armed with a long-barreled rifle and the other wearing a mask, walked away with $300 from the robbery at the local deli after pointing the gun at the store owner, demanding cash and slashing his abdomen with a box-cutter.
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The owner was transported to University Medical Center in Newark and later released.
Officers arrested the Newark men after seven days of surveillance at Stephen Crane Village in coordination with the Newark Police Department and the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, Detective Sgt. John McAloon of the Belleville Police Department said.
Authorities said on Sunday, June 4, officers saw two men leave the housing complex that's near the deli, and one of them pointed a rifle at a man. The officers converged on the suspects and arrested them following a brief foot chase, police said.
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Police charged both men with first-degree armed robbery in the deli incident.
The men also face first-degree armed robbery charges from the Essex County Sheriff’s Office in connection with a robbery in Branch Brook Park, and three first-degree armed robbery charges in connection with other robberies in Newark according to police.
The incident remains under investigation.