Middletown Township police have arrested and charged one man in connection with a group-style robbery of three juveniles.
Benjamin Lee Shaffer, 20, of Penndel, was charged in the March 13 robbery on Tuesday. Shaffer was charged with three theft related felonies and five related misdemeanors in the case, including a charge of simple assault.
Advertisements
According to court papers filed by Detective Patrick Nicastro, Shaffer, who was taken into custody for an unrelated offense, admitted being present during the robbery while in police custody. He also identified four other individuals that he was with prior to, during and after the robbery took place.
The robbery occurred around 8 p.m. on March 13. Upon arrival, officers spoke with three juveniles who told them they were approached by a group of about six people while walking on Durham Road. As noted in court documents, the group contained two black males, two white males, and two Hispanic males.
The group allegedly surrounded the juveniles and one of the men produced a black, semi-automatic handgun from his waistband. According to the victims, the man pointed it and poked one of the juveniles in the chest with it. One of the men patted the victims down, while another instructed they empty their pockets. Collectively, the group walked away with about $65, according to court papers.
Advertisements
The probable cause affidavit states police received several pieces of information identifying several victims who may have been involved during the course of investigation.
On March 26, police prepared a photo lineup containing a known photo of Shaffer and seven other subjects similar in appearance for the victims. Two of the victims positively identified Shaffer as one of the suspects involved.
Advertisements
Shaffer was arraigned Tuesday night by District Judge Leonard Brown and sent to county jail on 10 percent of $250,000 bail. He awaits a preliminary hearing to begin April 8.
None of the other suspects have yet to be charged in the robbery.
LevittownNow.com Publisher/Editor Tom Sofield contributed to this story.
Advertisements
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
