In a shocking robbery that took place in Edison, four New Jersey men have been arrested after stealing over $500,000 worth of perfume and cologne from a FedEx truck.
Armed with guns, the suspects threatened the driver, forcing him to assist in their plan.
The incident unfolded on the evening of September 5, around 8:00 p.m.
A 35-year-old FedEx driver from Elizabeth, New Jersey, was doing his job, switching trailers on Greek Lane, when three men, wearing dark clothes and blue medical masks, confronted him.
One of the robbers pointed a gun at the driver and forced him into the cab of his truck.
Then, two of the robbers got into the truck with him, while the third followed them in another vehicle.
They made the driver take them to a parking lot on Ethel Road, where a white box truck was waiting.
Once they reached the parking lot, the robbers zip-tied the FedEx driver’s hands and took his phone.
They then transferred cases of expensive perfume and cologne from the FedEx truck into the box truck.
After tying up the driver, the robbers drove away with the stolen goods.
About 10 minutes later, the driver freed himself and called the police using his Apple Watch.
Thankfully, he wasn’t hurt during the incident.
After two weeks of investigation, the police arrested the suspects.
On September 19, Juan Julião Castanos, 30, from Paterson, was caught at Newark Liberty International Airport.
Later that same day, police also arrested Nengly Sanchez Espaillat, 32, and Jhonatan Gregorio Castillo, 34, both also from Paterson.
When the police searched a home in Paterson, they found more than 2,269 bottles of perfume and cologne worth over $500,000.
A few days later, on September 26, the fourth suspect, Oscar Lizardo Lopez, 43, from Basking Ridge, was also arrested.
Police believe they recovered the gun that was used during the robbery.
All four men are now facing serious charges, including armed robbery, kidnapping, stealing goods worth over $75,000, and illegal possession of a gun.
Currently, they are being held at the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Center in North Brunswick, waiting for their court hearings.
The police worked closely with several other law enforcement agencies, including the New Jersey State Police Cargo Theft Unit, Port Authority Police, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Paterson Police, to catch the suspects.
Edison Police Chief Thomas Bryan praised the efforts of everyone involved in solving this case.
Meanwhile, Edison’s mayor, Sam Joshi, also commended the quick action taken by the police.
Quite clearly, the robbery was carefully planned since the suspects targeted a truck carrying expensive perfumes and colognes.
After threatening the driver and stealing the goods, they tied him up and threw away his phone, thinking it would prevent him from calling for help.
But thanks to the driver’s fast thinking and use of his Apple Watch, he could quickly alert the authorities, which led to the arrest of all four suspects.
Police are still investigating the case, and anyone with more information is encouraged to contact Detective Michael Palatella of the Edison Police at (732) 248-7533 or Detective Greg Shperkin of the New Jersey State Police at (609) 917-0125.
Now, the suspects face serious consequences for their actions.
The charges they are up against, such as armed robbery and kidnapping, could result in long prison sentences if they are convicted.