In a developing story, authorities in Monmouth County are currently investigating a reported armed robbery at a bank located in Long Branch.
Local press coverage has been minimal thus far, as investigators from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office have declined to comment and the office has yet to release a statement pertaining to the incident. However, Charles Webster, the spokesperson for the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, has confirmed that officials are currently investigating an armed robbery that allegedly occurred at the Chase Bank located at 160 Brighton Avenue in Long Branch.
The details of the investigation thus far are as follows: officials responded to a call from the Chase Bank at approximately 9:00 a.m. this morning. The report was that a man with a weapon robbed the bank, after which a K-9 unit was called to the scene and it was cordoned off pending an investigation.
Officials have yet to release a description of the suspect, but if a suspect is identified and apprehended, he may face charges for robbery, as well as others such as possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. Although robbery charges can be classified as first or second-degree crimes, they are enhanced to crimes of the first degree when there is a weapon involved in the commission of the offense.
With this in mind, if the circumstances of the reported incident are in fact, accurate, the suspect may face up to 20 years in New Jersey State Prison, 85% of which must be served before he becomes eligible for parole, as robbery is among the crimes governed by New Jersey’s No Early Release Act.
For additional information related to this incident and continued coverage, view the following:
- Long Branch armed robbery under investigation
- Long Branch bank robbed by man with a weapon, authorities say