TOMS RIVER – A suspect was arrested after allegedly holding up stores with a knife and getting cash, police said.
The first incident was at the 7-Eleven on Route 37. A man came in at 1:45 a.m. on March 28, showed a knife, and demanded cash, police said. On the same day, he did the same with the Rite Aid on Route 70.
At the third incident, two men entered Anthony’s Liquors on Route 166 at around 4 p.m. on March 31. One acted like a lookout and the other passed a note to the clerk demanding money. No weapon was shown, but it was hinted that he was armed.
Detectives from Toms River, Brick and Lakewood worked together on this batch of similar crimes. On April 4, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department was able to find evidence at the scene that led to Luis Claudio, 35 of Howell.
On April 5, he was arrested by Lakewood police on an unrelated warrant. He was transported to Brick’s police department where he was interviewed by detectives from all three towns. He was charged with robbery and weapons charges.
“Having a strong working relationship with other agencies made this investigation seamless and move swiftly,” a press release from Toms River police stated. “We would like to thank Brick Township Police Department, Lakewood Township Police Department, as well as the Ocean County Sheriff’s Crime Scene Investigations Unit and K-9 Unit for working together to apprehend the suspect.”
