Crime & Safety

Toms River Man Charged with Sovereign Bank Robbery

Wake Forest Drive resident arrested 11 a.m.

A Toms River man today was arrested and charged with on Fischer Boulevard yesterday afternoon, police said.

Raymond Rush, 47, of Wake Forest Drive, was arrested earlier today at home and charged with the robbery.

Toms River Police Chief Michael Mastronardy said the arrest was made without incident.

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“The investigation was quick and there was a lot of cooperation,” said Mastronardy.

Toms River Police were assisted by the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department,  Seaside Heights Police Department, and the Red Bank Office of the FBI.

Find out what's happening in Toms Riverwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Yesterday authorities were circulating bank surveillance images of the suspect, who police said first approached the in the Bellcrest Plaza before the robbery at Sovereign, which is across the street.

Mastronardy said the suspect initially entered the Provident Bank across the street but left after a bank employee asked him to remove his hat. The suspect then entered Sovereign as Provident employees were reporting a suspicious person to Toms River police dispatchers.

The suspect handed a note to a teller at Sovereign, demanding money, Mastronardy said. The teller complied, handing over less than $600 that was available in her drawer at the time. The chief said the suspect then "quickly exited" the Fischer Boulevard bank and took off on foot.

Toms River Detectives Randy Petrick, Glenn Lucas along with the Department’s emergency services unit and the FBI arrested Rush at 11 a.m. on Thursday. He is currently lodged in the Ocean County Jail on $100,000 no 10 percent option.


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