Kearny, NJ – At about 10:50am, Officer Ryan Wilson was flagged down by a victim who had just been robbed of his jewelry by a suspect on a bicycle, near the intersection of Halstead Street and Kearny Avenue. The suspect fled from Officer Wilson, then disposed of his bicycle and outer layers of clothing, both of which were later recovered.
Officer Wilson provided a detailed description of the suspect, including his face tattoos, to units in the area. Meanwhile, the suspect ran through back yards, crossing Belgrove Drive and ending up on Passaic Avenue, running South along the river bank.
Detectives Matos, San Martin and Nunez spotted the suspect who immediately changed direction and began to run. A lengthy foot pursuit ensued, but the suspect was ultimately captured by Officer Sean Wilson and East Newark Sergeant Fiore, near Grant Avenue in East Newark. A search incident to arrest yielded the victim’s jewelry and a knife.
Kearny Officers also recovered the suspect’s bicycle, his discarded clothing and an airsoft pistol from which the orange tip was removed. Town of Kearny camera footage proved to be instrumental in the course of this rapidly evolving incident.
The suspect, identified as Marquis E. Simmons, 35 of Newark, was charged with Robbery, Theft, four counts of Weapons offenses, and two counts of Obstructing the Administration of Law.
Chief of Police Scott Macfie provided the following statement: “Outstanding work by our officers in apprehending this robbery suspect. Criminals should know—if you break the law in this town, we will find you and we will hold you accountable.”
All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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The Kearny Police Department encourages residents to report suspicious activity through its new Tips Management Portal, accessible at https://kearnynjpd.org/submit-a-tip/. All submissions can remain confidential.
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