Police are searching for a man who robbed an employee at the Mount Olive Exxon station located on Route 206 in Mount Olive, New Jersey.
The incident occurred while the gas station worker was in the process of closing down the business for the night. According to officials, the victim was shutting things down around 11 p.m. when the suspect approached the worker.
The suspect was holding a black umbrella as he walked toward the victim. When the suspect got within striking distance of the worker, he reportedly used pepper spray and aimed it at the worker’s face.
The suspect then allegedly demanded that the victim hand over cash. After the victim gave the suspect money from his wallet, the suspect ran away.
After the suspect fled the scene, the victim called police. An ambulance arrived at the gas station a short time later and transported the victim to a nearby hospital.
The victim provided Mount Olive police with a description of the suspect, who is said to be a white male standing 5-foot-10 and with a slender build. According to the victim, the suspect appeared to be roughly 30 years old.
The Mount Olive Police Department is actively investigating the case. At this time, investigators are looking for leads and trying to determine the identity of the suspect.
If police are eventually able to identify the suspect, serious criminal charges for robbery would likely follow. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:15-1, robbery is typically classified as a second degree felony. A conviction for second degree robbery could lead to a sentence of 5-10 years in NJ State Prison.
The Mount Olive Township Police Investigations Unit has asked for the public’s assistance in the case. Anyone who has information about the suspect or the robbery is asked to call investigators at 973-691-0900 ext. 7203.
To learn more about this case, access the NJ.com article entitled “Gas Station Worker Robbed in Mount Olive.”
