FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — Police are searching for a middle-aged black man in connection with several armed robberies that have occurred in Freehold Township.
According to Detective William Holohan, on April 11 at 11:30 p.m., police received a report of an armed robbery involving a woman from Jackson. Her vehicle was parked at the Raintree Town Center, Village Center Drive, off Route 537, in front of a CVS pharmacy that is open 24 hours.
Holohan said an individual approached the woman as she was sitting in her vehicle putting on makeup. The man sprayed the woman in the face with an unknown substance that caused her eyes to burn. He then reached into the car, grabbed the woman’s purse and fled on foot. The woman described the suspect as a black male, about 40 years old, and said he was “chubby, bald and had bad skin.”
She called 911 and then drove to the nearby Freehold Raceway Mall to meet police.
Holohan said the second incident occurred on Aug. 17 at 10:21 p.m. when officers responded to Koenig Lane. A woman from Maine was visiting relatives in Freehold Township.
“The victim was out for a walk when an unknown black male sprayed something in her face which burned her eyes,” Holohan said.
The man grabbed the woman’s wrist and began to pull it.
“After a brief struggle, the victim was able to pull away and head toward a relative’s house,” he said.
Holohan said the woman described the suspect as a “black male in his early 30s, wearing a white short-sleeve polo shirt with blue stripes.” The detective said it is believed the man fled the area in a dark fourdoor vehicle.
The third incident occurred on Aug. 18 at 1:20 a.m. when officers responded to Glenbrook Road. Holohan said a woman who resides in Freehold Township had dropped off a friend at the Colts Pride development off Route 537.
“The woman said that while she was driving out of the development, an older green minivan pulled up alongside her car,” the detective said. “The guy was yelling something and she rolled down her window. The [suspect] exited his vehicle and asked her for directions. He told her he needed to get to Route 18 in order to get to Newark.”
Holohan said the man got back into his vehicle and the woman began driving home. She noticed the vehicle following her from the area of Randolph Road to Walling Road. He said the woman pulled over thinking the man was lost.
“The man got out of his car and went up to the victim’s window and asked her for the closest gas station. The accused then sprayed her in the face with an unknown type of chemical, causing her eyes to burn. The accused screamed that the man had a gun and demanded her purse. The accused then punched her on the side of the face and she gave him her wallet. The victim then pressed on the accelerator and fled the scene,” Holohan said.
He said the woman described the suspect as a black male, about 6 feet tall, in his mid- 30s. She said he was bald, had chubby cheeks and a big build, and was wearing a light-colored polo shirt.
One of the women told police that the man who attacked her was wearing glasses.
Police are advising women, especially those traveling alone and at night, to be especially cautious, know their surroundings and not stop to engage anyone in conversation that they do not know. They also should be aware of suspicious vehicles.
Anyone with information related to the incidents is asked to call Holohan at 732- 294-5141.