Investigators used DNA to link an Orange NJ man to an armed robbery at Morristown Medical Center in Morristown, New Jersey.
The theft incident occurred in May 2014. According to law enforcement, the suspect robbed a parking garage employee at the Morristown NJ hospital.
The victim worked as an administrative assistant for a company that provides parking service in the Morristown hospital. The robbery occurred while the victim was counting weekend income at the parking garages at Morristown Medical Center.
The victim first noticed the suspect after returning from a break. The suspect was standing inside the front office of the parking garage. The suspect reportedly asked the victim for a parking permit. The victim directed the suspect to the medical center, prompting him to leave.
Not long after that, the suspect reentered the front office, which by that time had been locked. The suspect approached the victim, reportedly pointed a handgun at the victim, and demanded that they hand over cash.
After getting the money, the suspect allegedly instructed the worker to use zip-ties to tie their own hands.
While investigating the robbery, Morristown police obtained the zip-ties and performed a DNA analysis on them. The zip-ties were subsequently analyzed by the NJ State Laboratory for DNA testing.
The DNA analysis reportedly led police to identify the suspect as the culprit in the robbery.
Police were able to find the suspect because his DNA was already in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) that is maintained by law enforcement in New Jersey. The suspect was in the CODIS database because he has a prior conviction for a drug crime.
A warrant was eventually issued for the suspect’s arrest and he was placed under arrest a short time later.
The suspect has been charged with a number of crimes, including first degree armed robbery. He has also been charged with several weapons offenses, including unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and a certain persons offense for being a felon in possession of a weapon.
After being arrested and processed, the suspect was taken to the Morris County Jail in Morristown, NJ. He was being held at the facility in lieu of $250,000 bail.
For further information about this case, view the DailyRecord.com article entitled “DNA Leads to Morristown Parking Garage Robbery Suspect.”
