Police arrest borough man in Feb. attempted robbery

SPOTSWOOD — A borough man has been arrested on charges that he allegedly tried to rob the Exxon gas station at Main Street and Summerhill Road.

Joseph Sicola, 29, was arrested some eight months after he allegedly attempted to hold up the gas station while brandishing a knife. The attempted robbery took place at 9:20 a.m. Feb. 10, according to police.

Police responding to the gas station at the time were told that a male subject who was armed with a knife demanded that the attendant give him all the cash he had. The suspect fled the scene when the attendant called 911 to report the incident.

Police said witnesses gave “a very detailed description” of the suspect, and that was in turn made public in an attempt to identify the person. Several possible suspects were developed, but none materialized over the course of the investigation, police said. At one point, Sicola was identified as a suspect, and police said the station attendant identified Sicola as the suspect as well, independently of police. Another witness later confirmed that Sicola was the perpetrator, according to police.

Based on the investigation and witness identifications, Spotswood Detective Kevin Palmer charged Sicola with attempted armed robbery and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. Sicola was lodged at the MiddlesexCountyAdultCorrectionCenter, North Brunswick, with bail set at $100,000 with no 10 percent option.