Bloomfield Man Accused of Attempted Armed Robbery

A 26-year-old township man was caught and his accomplice remains at-large following an attempted armed robbery of a Broad Street business on Saturday, police said.

Akin Dunbar, 26, was charged with robbery and aggravated assault. Judge John Paparazzo was placed bail at $250,000 with a court date pending.

Officers responded to a report of an armed robbery at a Broad Street business Saturday at about 11:30 a.m. Police said the 28-year-old male business owner gave a detailed description of the two men who assaulted and attempted to rob him.

The victim said two men entered his business and one of them came into the back room where he was working, police said. The first robber assaulted him and took money from his pants pocket while the second man attempted to open the cash register, police said. The victim said during the struggle, one of the men mentioned a gun but he did not see one, police said.

A customer interrupted the robbery and the bandits ran down Belleville Avenue toward Glen Ridge, followed by the victim.

Police searched the area and notified nearby police departments of the incident. A short time later, Lt. Chiarello along with Officers Robert Estelle, Fabian Rojas and officers from the Glen Ridge Police Department found a man fitting the description of one of the alleged robbers on the corner of High Street and Belleville Avenue in Glen Ridge, police said.

Police said they detained the man until the victim identified him, at which point he was placed under arrest for the robbery, police said.

A piece of clothing believed to have been worn by the second robber was found near the scene and the Essex County Sheriff’s Department K-9 Team was called to respond. The K-9 tracked the man's scent to the corner of High Street and Bloomfield Avenue where the scent was lost.

The business owner described the second robber as a black male in his 20s, 5-foot-6 with short hair and medium skin color wearing a white T-shirt, shorts and a black bandanna covering his face, police said.

Anyone with information about the robbery or the identification and whereabouts of the second man is asked to please contact the Bloomfield Police Department Detective Bureau at 973-680-4084.