On July 7th at 11:33pm, officers responded to a report of a robbery that occurred on Lexington Blvd. The victim advised that while he was delivering pizza to a Lexington Blvd address, he was approached and held at gunpoint by a male subject who demanded his money. During a verbal exchange between the victim and subject during which the victim refused to turn over any money, the victim was shot in the abdomen with two projectiles that were believed to be either pellets or BBs. The projectiles caused minor lacerations. The victim fled the area and contacted police.
The newly formed Strategic Police Enforcement Area Response (SPEAR) unit, which was created to address community concerns and localized pockets of criminal activity, investigated the incident along with the Barnegat Police Investigative Division. Through their investigative resources and community contacts, members of the SPEAR unit were able to develop information that led to the identification of Mark L Crudup II, 21, of Toms River as the subject believed to have committed the robbery.
A warrant was issued for Crudup for 1st degree robbery, 2nd degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, 3rd degree unlawful possession of a weapon, and 2nd degree aggravated assault. Bail was set at $150,000 with no 10% option.
Members of the SPEAR unit developed further information that led to locating Crudup at a Toms River address. On July 9th at approximately 4:00am, Barnegat officers with the assistance of the Toms River Police Department made contact with Crudup at a Barnegat Avenue address and took him into custody without incident. Officers also recovered a 6mm BB gun. Crudup was processed and lodged in the Ocean County Jail in default of bail.
The Barnegat Police Department would like to thank the members of the community who worked with our officers to bring this case to a successful conclusion in just over 24 hours.
