Linden police detained two Elizabeth men in connection with a robbery and beating of a Jersey City man early Saturday morning.
The 30-year-old victim from Jersey City told officers that he met the two men in Elizabeth and asked them for a ride home to Jersey City. Instead, the duo drove him to Linden, where he was robbed and struck in the head with a gun.
The victim flagged down an officer near the intersection of Brook St. and Knopf St. just before 7 a.m. where the suspects had just fled in an Audi.
Officer subsequently stopped the Audi with the assistance of additional officers. The driver, 27-year-old Johnny Arvelo, Jr., and the passenger, 26-year-old Jimmy L. Rodriguez, both of Elizabeth, were ordered out of the vehicle at gunpoint.
Officers recovered a .22 caliber revolver with one round in the chamber that was tossed out the window in a blue bag during the pursuit.
Both men have been charged with robbery, aggravated assault, and weapons offenses.
Arvelo later damaged the sprinkler system in the police cellblock and caused a flood. He was additionally charged with criminal mischief and was being held on $225,000 bail. Rodriguez was being held on $100,000 bail and was found to have contempt warrants out of Elizabeth, Bayonne, and Seaside Heights. Both have a court date set for March 14th.
The victim was offered medical attention by the Linden Fire Department Ambulance but declined.