T-Mobile store allegedly robbed in Linden, New Jersey

  Eyewitness NewsLINDEN, New Jersey (WABC) -- Linden police are investigating an armed robbery of a T-Mobile store on West Edgar Road.

Police say two men, described as being younger, barged into the store at around 4pm.

They were both allegedly wearing hooded sweatshirts pulled tightly around their faces, sunglasses and gloves.

One was armed with a gun.

Police say they tied up three employees and stole an undetermined amount of merchandise and cash.

The suspects fled in a white SUV, possibly a Range Rover, possibly with NY plates.

The employees were not injured.

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Paralympics athlete returns to find home robbed

TOMS RIVER (WABC) -- Cheryl Leitner's Paralympics' events are the 100 and 200 meter sprints. She competed in Beijing, Sydney, and the London games.

She was in Long Island competing in the Paralympics Olympics.

They stole some of her priceless belongings.

29-year-old Cheryl Leitner's Paralympics events are the 100 and 200 meter sprints.

She competed in Beijing, Sydney, and the London games.

"We get to help people understand that people with disabilities have a lot they can do, more than what people realize," Leitner said.

You can imagine how heartbreaking it is to open the boxes that held the Olympic rings and coins you've earned to find the treasures stolen, swiped while she was competing in London.

"I was heartbroken. I can't believe anyone would do this to anyone, alone someone who works so hard. Her life is challenging every day. She doesn't need this. No one needs this," said Sandy Kipp, Cheryl's mother.

Sandy showed Eyewitness News what her stolen items look like, gold rings, but bearing the three swooshes of the Paralympics, coins from the Beijing and Sydney games, money and other jewelry worth thousands of dollars.

"They jumped the fence, kicked the door in and immediately knew where to go," Kipp said.

That's why police believe an addict the family once gave shelter to, and her boyfriend may be behind this.

Two people matching their descriptions, failed to convince a local coin dealer to buy the loot.

"At this point they're on the run. I don't know for sure if they know we're on their trail," said Det. Mark Bajada, Toms River Police.

"I couldn't imagine breaking into someone's house, taking stuff they worked so hard to earn," Leitner said.

Especially when the culprits may be someone you helped.

"I want it back. Put it in a bag and throw it over the fence, mail it back. Give it back to her," Kipp said.

Coin and cash for gold stores across the region have been alerted to look out for Cheryl's things.

Investigators say they're following promising leads in finding their suspects.

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Popular ice cream vendor robbed, slashed in Totowa

TOTOWA (WABC) -- A popular ice cream vendor needed six stitches Monday night after getting stabbed and robbed on his route.

It happened shortly after 6 p.m. on Monday. The vendor, who didn't want to be identified, was selling his cold sweet treats in Totowa when a man armed with a knife attacked him.

He says his attacker entered the truck and robbed him, slashing his arm in the process. The bleeding vendor tried to drive away, and the violent thug grabbed what cash he could and bailed out.

Officials believe the attacker began his crime spree in Little Falls, stealing a Subaru earlier Monday.

Then, he approached the truck and asked if he could go inside. After the vendor said no, he came back two blocks later and forced his way in through the side window.

The suspect is still on the loose.

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Toll booths robbed on Garden State Parkway

  Eyewitness NewsHILLSIDE, N.J. (WABC) -- State troopers are looking for four men who robbed two Garden State Parkway toll booths at gunpoint Friday.

Shortly after 5:00 a.m. this morning ,four masked men in a silver Chrysler, possibly a 200 or Sebring, robbed the northbound toll plaza on the Garden State Parkway (This is know as the Union toll plaza).

Police said one of the passengers in the back seat showed a gun and robbed toll lane 7 in which the vehicle was stopped.

Another passenger in the back got out of the car and robbed the collector in lane 4.

No one was injured.

Surveillance footage showed the license plate of the involved car. Following that information, State Police detectives located a silver Chrysler 300 at the registered address, but discovered that the car had the front plate removed and had not been moved for some time. It appears that the robbers stole the plate to apply to a very similar vehicle that they used for the robbery.

Police would not say how much money was taken, officials said such heists are rare and usually are not fruitful.

Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at the Bloomfield Station on the Parkway at 973-338-1370.

All tips can be offered anonymously.

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Man beaten, robbed in Closter home invasion

Web produced by Jennifer Matarese, Eyewitness NewsCLOSTER, N.J. (WABC) -- Two men posing as FBI agents stormed a house in New Jersey, beating, tying up, and robbing a father of three.

Even more terrifying, the suspects promised they would come back to the Closter home.

"He panicked, he didn't really know what to think," the victim's daughter said.

It's a story that would make most of us panic as well.

Police on Closter Dock Road are now trying to figure out who forced their way into the home at 9 o'clock Wednesday morning, beating a man to the ground and terrorizing him as they robbed his house.

His daughter, whose face Eyewitness News did not show on camera, described the ordeal.

"They said they were from the FBI," the victim's daughter said.

So, he let them him.

She says after her father was beaten, he was tied up, and face down on the ground and then, one man took out a kitchen knife from the house.

"The man threatened him and told him that they were going to slit his throat and cut his ear off," the victim's daughter said.

Fortunately, they never cut his ear off, but they did say they'd be back and they did seem to know a lot of personal information about the family.

"They knew that there were three kids in the house, and they knew that we were all at school," the victim's daughter said.

Neighbors in the quiet community are troubled to say the least, but not entirely surprised.

"The economy is down, and a lot of people are out of work, and I guess this is a prime time," said Bob Maryott, a Closter resident.

"I don't run errands in the late afternoon, I won't leave my teenager alone," said Ilana Saghian, a Closter resident.

The family considers themselves lucky their break-in wasn't much worse.

"He's feeling better, he's just thankful that he's alive," the victim's daughter said.

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Man robbed at cemetery in New Jersey

Web produced by Bob Monek, Eyewitness NewsLINDEN (WABC) -- Police are investigating a robbery that took place inside a cemetery in New Jersey Sunday afternoon.

"He came behind, he put his arm like this and said give me your money and I said you've got to be kidding me," Esquillo Pigna said.

But it was no joke, was a real robbery at Rosedale Cemeter in Linden.

Pigna showed police, retraced the path he took through the Garden of Meditation mausoleum area Sunday afternoon.

The 70-year old was alone praying in front of his parents' crypt, when someone came up behind him and put him in a choke hold.

Esquilio was carrying 24-hundred dollars in cash.

"He took the money, unbuttoned my back pocket and took my wallet, threw me on the ground and ran," Pigna said.

Luckily, there were people two sections down who helped him call police.

"There's a lot of people who come here. If they can't be safe in a place like this, that's a shame. That's a shame. It shouldn't happen," Pigna said.

Detective Lieutenant James Sarnicki said more often than people think, that during the warmer weather, they respond to cemetery robberies several times a month.

"People come here to pay their respects. A lot of times they are only here a few minutes, leave their car unlocked, leave purses on the front seat, I just don't think people think they are going to be victimized in a cemetery," Sarnicki said.

As for Esquilio, he tells me, there's no way he's going to let this stop him from coming here to pay his respects to his family, but he adds, one thing will change.

"I won't come here alone. Someone will be here with me because you have to watch your back, don't know what's going to happen," he said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Eddie Adams at 908-474-8537 or email crimetips@police.lindenes-nj.org

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Woman, 84, robbed at knifepoint

Web produced by Bob Monek, Eyewitness NewsJERSEY CITY (WABC) -- Police are investigating a frightening attack on elderly New Jersey woman.

She was robbed at knifepoint inside her apartment when someone in the senior apartment building buzzed in a violent bandit.

"Somebody rings all the buzzers and someone let's them in. If they didn't do that, we wouldn't have a problem," tenant Tony Sciloi said.

That's apparently what happened Sunday morning at the Grandview Terrace apartment building in Jersey City.

The stranger wandered the halls, came upon the 84-year-old woman in her apartment, and robbed her at knifepoint.

Security cameras in the hallway captured pictures of the robber. Police are reviewing those.

Meantime, a tug of war has been brewing over security. Maintenance workers handle security during the week, but the tenant's board leaders say there are no guards on weekends.

"And low and behold on Mother's Day, people in and out with no one checking," Ed Hussey, tenant board vice president, said.

"We don't want guards 24-7, just weekends and holidays," Tony DiBella, tenant board president, added.

But, Brother Thomas says a majority of the 320 tenants signed a petition against additional security because cost would raise the rents, and most people here are on fixed incomes.

"These people don't speak for us, tenants just need to stop breaking the rules," he said.

He says the problem can be solved from within, with neighbors ending some bad habits.

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