If convicted, Leo Reed faces a possible sentence of 40 years, said Casey DiBlasio, spokeswoman for the Mercer County Prosectuor’s Office.
A Hamilton Township man is being held on $750,000 bail after he was charged in connection with a string of robberies that occurred at the 7-Eleven convenience store and Bossio’s Deli between October and April, police said.
Leo Reed III, 29, of Estates Boulevard, Hamilton, was charged with five counts of robbery, six counts of theft and one count of burglary, police said.
If convicted, Mr. Reed faces a possible sentence of 40 years, said Casey DiBlasio, a spokeswoman for the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.
An alleged accomplice, who is being held in a jail in southern New Jersey, was expected to be interviewed and charged today (Thursday), said police Detective Joseph Lech IV.
Mr. Reed and his accomplice also are suspected of committing similar crimes in Hamilton Township and in Bucks County, Pa., Detective Lech said.
Mr. Reed was arrested at a house on East State Street in Hamilton on April 26 several hours after police said he robbed the 7-Eleven store on Lawrence Road.
Detective Lech declined to comment on how police came to suspect Mr. Reed was responsible.
A store surveillance tape from the April 26 incident was reviewed by Detectives Joseph Amodio, William Chester, Sharon Micinski, Kevin Reading and Detective Lech. The detectives, who all worked on the robberies, agreed the man on the April 26 tape was the same person who committed the other robberies, he said.
"We obtained some vital information that led us to Hamilton Township to his residence," Detective Lech said. But when Hamilton police arrived at Mr. Reed’s home on Estates Boulevard to arrest him, he fled.
Police did not chase him. Instead, Detective Lech called on the Mercer County prosecutor’s office for help.
County Detective Joseph Angarone and Tim Hein of the U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force began surveillance at the East State Street house where it was believed that Mr. Reed was hiding, Detective Lech said.
Mr. Reed was observed on the street near the East State Street house, Detective Lech said. After a brief chase, Mr. Reed was apprehended inside the house. After he was served with a warrant for a drug offense by Trenton police, he was transported to Lawrence Township, Detective Lech said.
Mr. Reed was interviewed by detectives and charged with committing the robberies and thefts at the 7-Eleven on Oct. 7, Oct. 23, Oct. 28 and April 26, Detective Lech said. Also, he was charged with committing a robbery and theft at Bossio’s Deli Nov. 23 and a burglary and theft at Bossio’s Deli Nov. 28.
Detective Lech said a search of Mr. Reed’s Estates Boulevard residence turned up evidence linking him to the April 26 robbery at the 7-Eleven store, where in addition to cash, numerous packs of cigarettes had been stolen. The detective said packs of cigarettes were discovered in a plastic bag.
The string of robberies and thefts began Oct. 7 at the 7-Eleven store on Lawrence Road, Detective Lech said. Mr. Reed and an accomplice allegedly entered the store, confronted the store clerk and asked for money. The robbers fled with about $1,223 in cash.
They went back to the 7-Eleven store Oct. 23 and again demanded money. The clerk gave them his wallet containing $180 in cash, $905 from the cash register, four cartons of cigarettes and a plastic jar that contained donations for the victims of the World Trade Center disaster.
The two men robbed the same 7-Eleven store Oct. 28, Detective Lech said. The clerk recognized them as the same men who had robbed the store a week earlier and ran out the back door. The two men took $559 from the cash registers.
Bossio’s Deli on Lawrence Road was robbed Nov. 23 by Mr. Reed and his accomplice, Detective Lech said. They entered the store and ordered two employees to empty the cash register. The cash register was empty, so one of the employees led the robbers to a safe at the rear of the store. They took about $4,250 in cash and $2,568 worth of lottery tickets.
They went back to Bossio’s Deli Nov. 28, Detective Lech said. The two men broke into the store, which was closed, and removed an automated teller machine from inside the store, Detective Lech said. They put the ATM in the back of a pickup truck and fled. The ATM was valued at $8,000. It contained about $1,000 in cash.
Mr. Reed also was charged in connection with the April 26 robbery of the 7-Eleven store on Lawrence Road, Detective Lech said. Mr. Reed, who was alone that time, allegedly entered the store and demanded money and cigarettes from the two clerks. He got away with $700 in cash and $278 worth of cigarettes.