A Jersey City police standoff with a man barricaded in a vehicle ended peacefully after just over four-and-a-half hours this afternoon, Police Director Tawana Moody said.
At around 10:45 a.m., the Jersey City Police Department was alerted by the North Bergen Police Department that an armed suspect they were investigating had traveled into their city.
By the late morning, that led to multiple road closures in the area of Communipaw Avenue and John F. Kennedy Boulevard and police surrounded the suspect’s vehicle near the 7-Eleven located on the boulevard by Clinton Avenue.
“We came in to assist, to be able to make sure … [of] what just happened: that no one gets hurt,” Moody told a small group of reporters near the scene this afternoon around 3:25 p.m., minutes after the suspect had been arrested.
Moody said that he did not appear to be armed when he surrendered without putting up a fight, but authorities were still awaiting a search warrant for his vehicle.
She continued that approximately 50 officers, the majority from Jersey City and a few from North Bergen, responded, which was necessary to get the job done “securely and safely.”
The head of the police force also commended the officers who negotiated the safe surrender for the patient and productive efforts.
“It was a great training for us as well because you can learn from every situation,” Moody added.
The suspect was not immediately identified, nor were the charges against him.
Sources with knowledge of the situation, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said that he was wanted for an armed robbery out of North Bergen.
North Bergen Police Capt. David Dowd provided more details to HCV this evening.
Larry Zarzuela, 43, of Lyndhurst, was charged with robbery, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose (tire iron), and receiving stolen property (vehicle), Dowd said.
Zarzuela was wanted in connection for the April 9th armed robbery of the Grand Food Mart, located at 700 Grand Ave. in North Bergen.
According to Dowd, he threatened the counter worker with a tire iron and was spotted heading to Jersey City in a stolen vehicle this morning.
Editor’s note: This story was updated with comments from North Bergen Police Capt. David Dowd.