EAST BRUNSWICK – A 28-year-old township man was arrested Tuesday after he allegedly held up the CVS Pharmacy at 330 Rues Lane.
Police said Jason Brenner entered the pharmacy at 4:30 that afternoon, approached the counter and stated that he had a handgun hidden in his sweatshirt. He allegedly threatened to hurt a customer if he was not obeyed.
A store employee opened the pharmacy safe and Brenner walked around the counter, taking an undetermined amount of prescription Oxycontin pills, according to police. He then fled the store.
Another employee followed the suspect, who was described by witnesses as a clean-shaven white male wearing a gray sweatshirt with the hood pulled up. The employee watched the suspect enter a grey Chevy Trail Blazer.
At that point, police said, Brenner realized the employee was following him and threatened to shoot if the employee did not go back inside the store. The employee, however, committed the license plate of the suspect vehicle to memory before retreating into the store.
When police arrived, employees and customers provided details to the officers that allowed them to track the vehicle to Brenner.
East Brunswick police officers set up surveillance on Brenner’s residence and were able to pick him up as he attempted to return home.
Brenner was charged with armed robbery and committed to the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center, North Brunswick, on $100,000 bail. Police said additional charges are pending the results of a follow-up investigation.