Police in Essex County are on alert for several armed suspects wanted for overnight robberies in Newark's Ironbound Section and Irvington Township.
According to a preliminary investigation, police responded to reports of a robbery in progress on New York Avenue in the city's East Ward around 12:17 a.m.
Officers arrived at the scene found a woman who reported that suspects occupying a light-colored SUV pulled up and pointed a gun at her head. The men then took the victim's purse and a cell phone before speeding away from the scene.
In another incident, suspects fitting the same description as the East Ward robbery assailants ambushed a victim using rifles near 329 2nd Avenue around 1:20 a.m.
Police say the suspect took personal possessions from the frightened victim before they fled the scene.
According to police, the suspects then made their way into Irvington Township, where they committed robberies on Harrison Place and 38th Street shortly before 2 a.m.
Authorities are looking for as many as three suspects armed with rifles who occupied a 4-door white Acura MDX. Police said the black make suspects wore masks and are considered violent and dangerous.
According to a social media post on Facebook, two victims were robbed on Main Street in east orange by suspects fitting the description, but it was not clear if the victims reported the incident to police at this time.
There were no physical injuries reported.