Two Lyndhurst juveniles have been arrested in connection with an alleged armed robbery over the weekend, Det. Capt. Vincent Auteri said.
Both suspects, 15, have been charged with first-degree robbery, third-degree possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.
According to Auteri:
On Saturday, March 1, 2025, at approximately 9:49 p.m., officers responded to a convenience store on Ridge Road following a report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, officers learned two individuals wearing face coverings and hoods entered the store, canvassed the premises and attempted to conceal merchandise.
One of the suspects then approached the sales counter and brandished a knife, while the second suspect grabbed a hammer from near the counter and raised it toward the store clerk. The second suspect proceeded behind the counter, attempting to steal tobacco products. When confronted by the clerk, the suspect dropped the stolen items and the both of them fled the store.
Shortly after, Officer Mark Rivera, who was patrolling nearby, spotted two individuals matching the suspects’ descriptions. As soon as the suspects saw his marked patrol vehicle, they ran toward a commercial parking lot on Valley Brook Avenue. Officer Rivera pursued them and confronted them on foot. One suspect complied with his commands to stop, while the other attempted to flee and hid behind a storage shed before ultimately surrendering.
Lts. Richard Holicki and Charles Giangeruso, along with Officers Edward Montoya and Michael Carrino, arrived to assist, and both suspects were taken into custody without incident. Sgt. Thomas McSweeney, along with Dets. Joseph White and Steven Batista and Officer Michael Scalese, responded to the robbery scene.
After interviewing witnesses and reviewing surveillance video, they were able to confirm the suspects’ actions.
Both juveniles were remanded to the Bergen County Juvenile Detention Center.
No one was injured during the robbery and the Lyndhurst Police Department says it commends the swift actions of officers in bringing this case to a safe resolution.
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.