Newark police are requesting the public’s assistance in identifying two suspects who assaulted and robbed a man of his electric scooter and $500 in broad daylight outside a retail store Saturday.
Around 3:20 p.m., officers responded to a robbery in the 600 block of Mayor Kenneth A. Gibson Boulevard, in front of the Nike Factory Store. According to officials, the victim informed officers that he had tied his scooter to a municipal pole before entering the establishment.
The victim saw two Black men trying to take his scooter as he was leaving the store. When he approached them, they allegedly hit him in the face, grabbed his fanny pack, which included $500 and personal stuff, and fled the area.
“They took his fanny pack containing $500 and his personal belongings and fled north on scooters on Kenneth A. Gibson Boulevard, then west on Central Avenue and south on Halsey Street,” according to officials.
An unrelated witness who witnessed the heist later returned the victim’s scooter, telling the authorities that he was given it by two males during the crime.
Police seek public assistance as investigation continues
Newark Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda, Sr., issued a call for public assistance in identifying the suspects recorded in surveillance photographs from the site.
The case is still under active investigation. No arrests had been made as of Wednesday.
Authorities have not provided any new information on the suspects beyond the victim’s initial description.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call Newark police or provide anonymous tips through accessible reporting methods.