Man Agrees To Buy Sneakers From Monmouth Resident, Steals Them At Gunpoint: Prosecutor

HOWELL, NJ — A Monmouth County 19-year-old has been arrested after he shot at and robbed a Howell resident during a merchandise exchange, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office said Thursday.

Giancarlo Nevarez, of the Clarksburg section of Millstone, has been charged with first-degree armed robbery, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago said.

Nevarez and the Howell resident had gotten in contact via social media, the victim told authorities. A meeting was set up for about 3 p.m. Tuesday in the area of the 4200 block of Route 9 South where the victim was supposed to sell Nevarez a couple of pairs of high-end sneakers, authorities said.

When the victim showed Nevarez the sneakers, Nevarez pulled out a firearm and fired a shot, then took the sneakers and left, the victim told authorities.

No one was hit by the shot that was fired, but someone nearby heard the shot and called 911 to report it, the prosecutor's office said.

Nevarez was arrested Tuesday and is being held at the Monmouth County jail.

Santiago included a reminder to residents that the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office and a number of local police departments have safe exchange zones for residents to complete merchandise transactions while protecting their safety and minimizing the risk of someone being robbed.

Anyone with information about the robbery is urged to contact Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Thomas Manzo at 800-533-7443 or Howell Police Department Detective Ryan Jackson at 732-938-4111.