By: centraljersey.com
A Milford man has been charged in a string of armed robberies in Somerset and Middlesex counties this month, the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office announced Monday.
John Stys III, 26, was charged with three counts of armed robbery, one count of attempted armed robbery, and four counts each of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon. He is accused of using a knife to commit or attempting to commit four robberies in the county, including one in Montgomery, and two in Middlesex County, according to a release from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office.
Acting Prosecutor Peter A. DeMarco Jr. said authorities throughout the county had been advised to be on the lookout for a man who had committed a series of robberies at convenience stores in the two counties, and they were given a description of the man along with the red pickup truck he was known to be driving.
Mr. Stys was arrested in Green Brook Township Saturday after township police saw him "case" a Walgreens drug store, according to the press release. At 9:50 p.m., the release said police saw Mr. Stys drive a red pickup truck matching the description of the suspect’s vehicle and pull into a Walgreens store with his headlights off. The release said Mr. Stys left the area after he noticed a marked police vehicle, but when he stopped at a red light Green Brook police pulled next to him in an unmarked car and confirmed he matched the description of the perpetrator.
After the officer confirmed the match, he called for backup and Green Brook police responded and stopped Mr. Stys, the release said. Police quickly noticed he was wearing work boots that matched surveillance footage from previous robberies and police found a military combat-style knife hidden in his waistband, according to the release.
Green Brook police contacted police in Hillsborough Township and Middlesex Borough as well as the county prosecutor’s office’s Major Crimes Squad, the release said, and Mr. Stys was charged in the following crimes:
– On Sept. 6, the armed robbery of an undisclosed amount of money from the Krauszer’s on Route 206 in Montgomery
– On Sept. 9, the armed robbery of an undisclosed sum of money from the Krauszer’s in Hillsborough
– On Saturday, the attempted robbery of Ted’s Market on Kennedy Boulevard in Manville, where the release said Mr. Stys fled from the store without any cash after an employee hesitated to open the register
– On Saturday, the attempted robbery of a 7-Eleven in Green Brook, where the release said he abandoned the act "after taking a substantial step toward committing the robbery"
Mr. DeMarco said Mr. Stys threatened the employees with the knife in each incident, though no injuries were reported in any of the robberies or attempts.
Mr. Stys was sent to Somerset County Jail in lieu of $200,000 cash bail with no option to post 10 percent for release. The release said Mr. Stys also faces additional charges from Middlesex County for two robberies that occurred in Middlesex Borough, one on Sept. 13 and the other on Friday.
[email protected]

