Boy Threatened To Shoot People Trying To Stop Robbery At Park In Brick: Prosecutor

BRICK, NJ — A Brick Township boy is under arrest after he robbed a person at Angela Hibbard Park and threatened to shoot people who tried to intervene, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said Thursday.

The boy was not identified and his age was not released. He is being held at the Ocean County Juvenile Detention Center, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

Brick police responded to a 911 call on Tuesday reporting a person reaching into his backpack and acting like he had a gun, authorities said.

At the park, on Drum Point Road, police learned the boy had approached someone at the park and grabbed property from the victim.

A bystander confronted the boy and tried to keep him from leaving the park with the victim's belongings, authorities said, but the boy pushed the bystander. A second person tried to intervene, and at that point, the boy threatened to shoot the people who were in the immediate area and reached into his backpack while holding what was identified as a black object, authorities said.

Because of the threat, people began running for cover and the boy tried to run off, authorities said.

Brick police began running after him and ultimately caught and arrested him, authorities said. Police recovered an imitation firearm and machete at the scene, the prosecutor's office said.

The boy has been charged with robbery, two counts of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon, three counts terroristic threats, obstruction, and harassment, Billhimer said.