A man was charged in an armed robbery spree in Hoboken, Jersey City, Union City, and Secaucus that occurred at the end of last month, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez announced.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Five armed robberies were reported between the late night hours of Friday, April 29th and the early morning hours of Saturday, April 30th. In each incident, a handgun was brandished and money was demanded from the clerk working at a business.
A joint investigation by the municipal police departments, with assistance from the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Gang Task Force, resulted in the arrest of Joel Krecz, 35, of Hackensack.
Krecz has been identified as the suspect responsible for at least five armed robberies in Jersey City, Secaucus, Union City and Hoboken.
To date, Krecz has been charged with multiple counts of robbery and various weapons and theft offenses in connection with:
• The robbery of a store on Route 440 in Jersey City on Friday, April 29th.
• The robbery of a liquor store on Summit Avenue in Union City on Saturday, April 30th.
• The robbery of a gas station on Route 3 in Secaucus on Saturday, April 30th.
• The robbery of a business on Paterson Plank Road in Union City on Saturday, April 30th.
• The robbery of a liquor store on Willow Avenue in Hoboken on Saturday, April 30, 2022.
“This arrest is the direct result of good, collaborative policing between patrol officers, detectives, and major case units,” Suarez said in a statement.
“Our office is committed to working closely with every department in Hudson County to protect the safety of residents and business owners and see that those responsible for crime are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Krecz was arrested in Jersey City, while in possession of a handgun, on Tuesday, May 3rd.
“By working together with departments across city lines, we not only apprehended an armed and dangerous criminal, but we also prevented this armed robber from potentially committing many more acts of violence and stopped him from further terrorizing our communities,” Jersey City Police Director Tawana Moody and Deputy Chief Nicola Flora said in a joint statement.
“Crime has no jurisdictional boundaries and the Secaucus Police Department will continue to work with our law enforcement counterparts and pursue criminals who victimize businesses and residents,” added Secaucus Police Chief Dennis Miller.
Krecz is being held at the Hudson County Correctional Facility in Kearny pending his first court appearance, which is tentatively scheduled for Monday, May 9th.
“We are thankful our neighboring law enforcement agencies share these same values and work collaboratively to make our communities safer for everyone,” noted Union City Police Chief Nichelle Luster.
“When law enforcement comes together, it sends a message to the criminal element that crime will not be tolerated in our communities,” stated Acting Hoboken Police Chief Steven Aguiar.
Authorities are continuing to investigate and the robbery of a store on John F. Kennedy Boulevard in North Bergen on Friday, April 8th and additional arrests and charges are expected.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office at 201-915-1345 or to leave an anonymous tip at: http://www.hudsoncountyprosecutorsofficenj.org/homicide-tip/.
All information will be kept confidential.
