Monmouth University Football Player Accused of Armed Robbery, Says It Was “Halloween Prank”

A football player at Monmouth University faces very serious criminal charges for armed robbery after he allegedly held up two other Monmouth University students at gunpoint the day after Halloween.

According to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, the suspect committed the theft around 9:20 p.m. on November 1, 2016. He was reportedly wearing a hooded black sweatshirt and covering his face with a stocking mask when he walked up to the two victims and threatened them with a handgun. The suspect allegedly ordered the victims to hand over their wallets, cell phones, and other personal possessions. The suspect then allegedly ran off and fled the scene on foot.

West Long Branch police and Monmouth University security locked down the West Long Branch campus for two hours while canvassing the area in search of the suspect and the weapon he allegedly brandished during the robbery. Police officers eventually recovered an imitation firearm, which authorities believe was the weapon used by the suspect.

Now the suspect’s father is saying that the alleged criminal incident was just a Halloween prank gone horribly wrong. The dad of the suspect recently spoke with NJ media outlets and said that his son’s actions were just “a dumb mistake, a dumb prank.” However, Monmouth County prosecutors aren’t buying that explanation, which is why the suspect has been charged with first degree armed robbery and faces severe criminal penalties if he is ultimately convicted on the felony charges. The alleged robbery occurred the day after Halloween, which may have made it more difficult for prosecutors to believe that it was merely a Halloween prank.

The suspect is an 18-year-old from Baltimore, Maryland who currently attends Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey. The student is also a football player for the school, which has resulted in a number of prominent media headlines about the incident.

The suspect recently appeared in Monmouth County Superior Court, located in Freehold NJ, so that a bail amount could be set in his case. The superior court judge ultimately decided that the suspect’s bail amount should be $100,000, with no 10-percent cash option available for posting bail. In addition to setting the high bail amount, the judge also ordered the suspect to stay off the Monmouth University campus and avoid all contact with the robbery victims until the case has been resolved.

The Monmouth University football team has already suspended the student, pending the outcome of the criminal case and a school investigation.

To learn more, check out the following article: Monmouth U. football player’s dad reportedly says campus robbery was bad prank