Grand Jury Hands Down Indictment In Gunpoint Robbery, Kidnapping At Rockland Smoke Shop

GARNERVILLE, NY — A terrifying armed robbery has led to the felony indictment of a New Jersey man.

Rockland County District Attorney Tom Walsh announced that a grand jury has voted an indictment against 46-year-old Nelson Morales, of Cliffside Park, New Jersey, charging him with first-degree robbery and second-degree kidnapping. Morales faces a minimum of five years and a maximum of 25 years in state prison.

According to prosecutors, on June 25, Morales entered the Finest Vape and Smoke Shop in Garnerville, wearing a mask over his face and holding what appeared to be a pistol in his hand.

He then walked to the back of the store where an employee was working alone, according to investigators. Morales pointed the gun at the employee and demanded that he open a safe located in the back room of the store, cops said. The employee was on the floor and was not allowed to move except as instructed by Morales, according to the indictment. Since the employee did not know the code to the safe, Morales forced him to instead open a cash register elsewhere in the store and hand over the money inside, prosecutors contend. The employee, who feared for his life and was unable to escape, complied with the demand, according to the accusations.

Morales also took some products from the back shelf and put it into a bag he had with him, the DA said. He then fled from the store with the bag containing the merchandise and around $800 in cash from the register, according to the charges.

The Town of Haverstraw Police Department investigated the incident with assistance from the New York State Police and the Rockland County Sheriff's Department.