Would-be thieves flee empty handed in attempted evening robbery
Map view of Wyckoff Street in New Brunswick, where six men invaded a home Wednesday.NEW BRUNSWICK — Six men were arrested for robbing three people in a New Brunswick apartment house Wednesday, and hours later two men fought off two robbers outside a separate city apartment house, police said.
Authorities said six robbers, one armed with a gun, entered an apartment in a Wyckoff Street house about 2:08 p.m. Wednesday and stole computers, cell phones, cash and backpacks before fleeing.
The victims and witnesses gave police a description of the robber's vehicle, which was broadcast to surrounding municipalities, police said.
East Brunswick police saw the vehicle get on the New Jersey Turnpike, and chased the vehicle, finally stopping it on an exit ramp at Interchange 10 in Edison, authorities said.
They said police recovered stolen property and a handgun.
Officers arrested Donnell Kirkland, 21, Jasper Messey, 20, and Nathaniel Smalls, 19, all of Jersey City, along with Duran Abrams, 20, of New Brunswick and Ronald Watkins, 18, of North Brunswick, and Lorenzo Davis, 18 of North Brunswick. All six were being held today at the Middlesex County jail in North Brunswick.
At 10:53 p.m. Wednesday, two men were returning to a Louis Street apartment when they were confronted by two robbers, one armed with a gun, who demanded money, police said.
The victims fought off the attackers, and one victim reported being struck in the back of the head with a gun, authorities. They said both robbers fled empty-handed.