By: Richard L. Smith
A woman and two men from Linden have been charged in connection with an armed robbery that happened earlier this month.
According to Linden Police on May 17, at approximately 5:40 p.m. Officers responded to the 1400 block of S. Wood Avenue on reports of an armed robbery.
Police said the victims reported that they were sitting inside their vehicle when they were approached by two men wearing ski masks. One of the men reportedly pointed a handgun at the driver and demanded money.
The suspects then entered a black Nissan driven by a woman and fled the scene.
Officers located the vehicle parked nearby, however, when the Officer activated his lights, the vehicle drove off.
The Officer pursued the vehicle for a short distance before it suddenly came to a stop. One of the suspects exited the vehicle and ran from the scene.
The driver of the vehicle, Ananda Rodriguez, 22, of Linden was placed under arrest. She was charged with eluding and released on a summons pending a scheduled court appearance.
The two men were not located.
A subsequent investigation conducted by the Linden Police Detective Bureau identified the men as Bentley Suggs, 22, and Cornelius James Jr., 24, both of Linden. Suggs, James, and Rodriguez are each charged with two counts of first-degree armed robbery, second-degree conspiracy to commit robbery, second-degree possession of a weapon, and second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
Bentley Suggs and Ananda Rodriguez were both arrested by Detectives without incident on May 25, 2023.
They were processed and transported to the Union County Jail pending a scheduled appearance in Superior Court.
Cornelius James remains at large. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is encouraged to contact Det. Matthew Jones at (908) 474- 8556 or Linden Central Dispatch at (908) 474-8500. Tips about this crime or any other crime can also be shared anonymously via email to crimetips@lpdnj.org.