A Keyport woman and a companion have been arrested and charged with a pair of armed robberies, a burglary, theft and multiple weapons offenses, Monmouth County Acting Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced.
Alyssa M. Plath, 23, of Keyport, and Phillp W. Kellerman, 27, of Metuchen, were arrested on Jan. 20 and charged with two counts of first degree armed robbery, one count of third degree burglary, one count of third degree theft, two counts of third degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and two counts of fourth degree unlawful possession of a weapon. The charges are a result of a crime spree the individuals allegedly started on Jan. 13 in Matawan and Marlboro, according to the prosecutor.
Matawan police responded to an alarm activation at a residence at 12:05 p.m. Jan. 13. Upon arrival, police found the alarm had been activated by a forced entry of the residence while no one was home. Police reported that jewelry was stolen from the home.
On Jan. 19 in Marlboro, a home was entered before 1:13 p.m. A 71-year-old woman called 911 and reported that an individual entered the home armed with a knife. The female was physically unharmed, but the intruder left with an engagement ring.
On Jan. 20, Matawan police responded to the Matawan Pharmacy, Route 34, for a report of an armed robbery. Employees reported that an individual, covering his face, entered the store armed with a knife and demanded Xanax and money. After receiving the drugs and cash the man fled the scene.
A joint investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, the Matawan Police Department and the Marlboro Police Department determined the vehicle allegedly used in the pharmacy robbery belonged to Plath. The vehicle was quickly located and found to be occupied by Plath and Kellerman. Authorities said proceeds from all three incidents were recovered.
Kellerman and Plath are being held in the Monmouth County jail, Freehold Township, on $615,000 bail with no 10 percent option, as set by state Superior Court Judge Linda Grasso Jones, who ordered the defendants not to have any contact with the victims and not to return to the scene of the crimes.
If convicted of the first degree charges, Plath and Kellerman each face a sentence of up to 20 years in state prison. If convicted of any of the third degree charges, they each face a sentence of three to five years in state prison on each count. If convicted of the fourth degree charge, they each face up to 18 months in state prison, according to the prosecutor’s office.
