Suspect At Large in Second Armed Robbery Along Stretch of Route 37

Toms River Police are searching for a man who fled on foot after an attempted armed robbery of a Route 37 gas station near Bananier Drive at 5:30 p.m.

The suspect is believed to be a white male, 5’6” and of medium build, seen wearing a black-hooded sweatshirt, a black hat and black sneakers, said Chief Michael Mastronardy.

The suspect approached a male gas station attendant at the Shell Gas Station on Route 37 West, demanding money and showing a knife, said the police chief.

After the attendant grabbed the man’s arm, the suspect dropped the knife and took off toward Holiday City. He fled south on foot, said Mastronardy.

The police chief said the investigation of today’s incident may be linked with a Nov. 5 incident nearby, at the . Both on Route 37 West, today’s incident is at 1095 Route 37 West while the earlier incident was at 1194 Route 37 West.

“The department is continuing to investigate a similar robbery and the possibility it may be related that occurred on the fifth of November at the Holiday Service Center,” he said.

In the Nov. 5 incident, a white male in his early 20s brandishing a knife approached an employee of Holiday Service Center and demanded money, police said.

The alleged suspect, described as 5'9" and 155 lbs., took $100 from the 17-year-old male attendant and fled on foot north on Sumner Avenue, Mastronardy said.

At the time of the Nov. 5 robbery, the suspect was wearing a brown pullover hooded sweatshirt that read "Billa Bong" in white letters on the front, blue jeans and black sneakers, Mastronardy said.

Investigating are Detective Chris Fluck, Officer Michael Cassidy, Chris Raia and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department.