The township police department is actively investigating what it calls positive leads in last month’s armed robbery of a couple in their Crofton Run Development driveway, according to Police Chief Patrick Gurcsik.
The victims had just returned home from the Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia when the incident occurred at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 27. Township dispatch got a 911 call reporting the robbery three minutes later, and the first police unit arrived at 11:35 p.m.
According to police, a male victim had just exited his Mercedes-Benz convertible in the driveway with his fiancée when he was ambushed by two armed suspects. One suspect allegedly struck the victim in the head with a handgun while demanding his Rolex watch and wallet. The second suspect allegedly held the female victim at gunpoint and ordered her to remain silent.
The suspects, described as two African American males wearing dark clothing and masks, fled the scene on foot toward Joseph Drive, police said. Surveillance footage showed them entering a waiting getaway vehicle at the intersection of Eton and Joseph drives and fleeing toward Fries Mill Road.
A comprehensive area search was conducted by responding officers. A K-9 tracked the suspects’ path, and a drone was deployed by officer Jake Bentsen for an aerial search. Both searches yielded negative results, but police did recover surveillance footage from multiple residences that captured the robbery and the suspects’ escape.
Data analysis from the police department’s license plate readers confirmed the suspected vehicle was trailing the victim’s car on Route 42 South as it entered the township at 11:20 p.m. in the area of TGIFridays. The suspects then followed the couple as they turned onto Fries Mill Road toward Crofton Run.
The suspect vehicle bore a temporary paper license plate that was not on file. It was later tracked exiting the township on 42 North, near the New Jersey Transit bus garage, according to police.
The male victim sustained injuries to his head and elbow but declined medical treatment at the scene. The suspects got his Rolex watch and wallet, along with multiple credit cards and cash.
Gurcsik said the investigation is progressing with detectives in Philadelphia and that additional updates will be available as soon as investigators can share more information. Anyone with information or surveillance footage from the area is urged to contact detectives Lou DiAmbrosio or Matt Barnett at (856) 589-0330.
