Even when a person does not participate directly in a crime, they can be charged for behavior that connects them to the commission of the crime. Robbery charges were brought against five people in New Jersey this past week after they were arrested in connection with an alleged gas station robbery.
The alleged robbery occurred on Thursday, March 22, 2012 in Paulsboro, New Jersey. A report was made to the local police that two men had entered a Valero gas station at approximately 2:45 in the early morning hours. The two men allegedly used a small knife to prompt attendants to give them money.
After the report, responding offers tracked down three people that they suspected had been involved in the alleged robbery. The three men were not the ones who entered the gas station, but allegedly acted as lookouts while the robbery was in progress. Two of the men were 19-year-old adults, and the third was a 17-year-old juvenile.
Later in the evening on the same day, the two men thought to be the ones that entered the gas station voluntarily surrendered to police. One of the men who surrendered at approximately 7:30 p.m. was a 19-year-old adult while the other was a 21-year-old adult.
The four adults face charges including aggravated assault with a weapon, robbery, theft, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and conspiracy. They are currently being held at the Gloucester County Jail. The minor was charged with similar offenses but is instead being held a juvenile detention center.
Source: Gloucester County Times, “Five charged in Paulsboro knifepoint holdup,” March 23, 2012