BY JENNIFER AMATO
Staff Writer
NEW BRUNSWICK – Two men accused of robbing a liquor store in North Brunswick in February, which led to the fatal shooting of a suspect, have been formally indicted, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.
Joel Reyes, 28, of North Brunswick, and Joel Cruz, 27, of Somerset, have each been charged with two counts of armed robbery, one count of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, one count of possession of a prohibited weapon, identified as a sawed-off shotgun, and one count of conspiracy to commit armed robbery.
On Feb. 7, Jamar Bradley, 30, of New Brunswick, was fatally shot during an in-progress investigation of an armed robbery at the Buy Rite Liquor Store at 2750 Route 27. According to the initial reports, Bradley allegedly brandished a shotgun while Cruz removed an undetermined amount of cash from the register around 9:25 p.m.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, police were investigating various shotgun robberies in the area and were notified of a suspicious 2005 Nissan Altima, which was the car Bradley, Cruz and Reyes were driving. Plainclothes officers from Franklin noticed that the vehicle had made brief stops in the parking lots of the Buy-Rite and Hidden Lake liquor stores on Route 27 and then went back to the Buy-Rite.
During the altercation, members of the Franklin Police Department entered the store and Sgt. Darrin Russo, a 22-year veteran of the department, fired a single gunshot to the chest of Bradley. Bradley died overnight of internal injuries from the gunshot wound, but Reyes and Cruz were arrested on scene and remain lodged at the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the use of force by the police officer was reviewed by its office and the Office of the Attorney General. Both organizations agreed that the undisputed facts indicate that the officer involved was legally justified in his use of deadly force and that a presentation of the use of force to a grand jury can be foregone.
The connection of the men to any of the 14 other robbery incidents in Franklin, New Brunswick, Edison and South River over the last several months is under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Lt. Brian Caffery, Sgt. Ivan Scott or Investigator Raj Chopra of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at (732) 745-3300.