Eatontown man arrested in connection with 4 robberies
Police arrested an Eatontown man Tuesday in connection with the robbery of four (4) gas stations in three towns over a five day period. According to the Asbury Park Press article, "Michael Mazza, 36, of Livingston Court, was charged Tuesday with four counts of robbery, possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, purposely causing bodily injury, two counts of possession of a weapon and criminal attempt to commit robbery." The defendant was charged with robbing gas stations in West Long Branch, Eatontown, and Ocean Township in very similar scenarios in which he allegedly threatened attendants and took off with approximately $200 to $300 each incident. The defendant is being held at the Monmouth County Jail in Freehold, New Jersey on $130,000 bail.
The statute governing robbery charges in New Jersey is N.J.S.A. 2C:15-1 which provides in pertinent part:
§ 2C:15-1. Robbery
a. Robbery defined. A person is guilty of robbery if, in the course of committing a theft, he:
(1) Inflicts bodily injury or uses force upon another; or
(2) Threatens another with or purposely puts him in fear of immediate bodily injury; or
(3) Commits or threatens immediately to commit any crime of the first or second degree.
An act shall be deemed to be included in the phrase "in the course of committing a theft" if it occurs in an attempt to commit theft or in immediate flight after the attempt or commission.
b. Grading. Robbery is a crime of the second degree, except that it is a crime of the first degree if in the course of committing the theft the actor attempts to kill anyone, or purposely inflicts or attempts to inflict serious bodily injury, or is armed with, or uses or threatens the immediate use of a deadly weapon.
