Crime & Safety

Arrest Made in Race Star Armed Robbery

Imran Ivery, 26, of Irvington was arrested on May 25 and charged with armed robbery.

Imran Ivery, 26, of Irvington was arrested on Friday, May 25 and charged with armed robbery of the Race Star gas station located at 801 W. South Ave. in Westfield, according to Westfield Police Chief David Wayman.

During the robbery, which occurred in the early evening of Friday, March 30, Ivery allegedly held the station's attendant at gunpoint and told him, "Give me the money or I'll shoot you. I have a gun."

The suspect then fled the station with $300 in cash and the attendant's cell phone after locking him inside the bay area of the gas station.

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Ivery is tied to at least one other gas station armed robbery but is a suspect in committing several others throughout New Jersey, Wayman said  He is currently incarcerated at Middlesex County Jail, with his bail set at $75,000.

"We were able to charge him through the investigation led by Detective Gregory Hobson who processed the crime scene and recovered trace evidence that led to the suspect," Wayman said. 

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Wayman noted that surveillance video was just one of several forms of evidence that was obtained. 

A similar incident occurred in  when the station, which was owned by Coastal at the time, was robbed at gunpoint and the suspect fled with $450 and a handheld telephone but Wayman said the police department is unable to connect the two crimes at this time. 

"The detective bureau did a great job on this," Wayman said. "If it weren't for their diligent work, it wouldn't have been solved." 


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