Cranford PD Arrest Clark Man For Armed Robbery

The Cranford Police Department arrested a Clark man for allegedly displaying a knife and robbing an H&B Shell gas station on the evening Jan. 14.

William Black, 24, was charged with robbery and weapons possession after a gas station employee reported that a white male entered the attendant booth, displayed a knife and stole approximately 100 dollar on Jan. 14 at approximately 8:07 p.m., Cranford Police stated.

The robber then fled the area on foot across Raritan Road towards Clark. Cranford and Clark Police were unable to locate the suspect on the eve of the robbery, according to police. However, Detectives Ryan Greco and Spencer Durkin, assisted by Det. George Marmarou of the Clark Police, discovered a potential suspect that lived blocks from the gas station, which is located at 1170 Raritan Road.

“On January 15, 2014, Det. John Swandrak canvassed the route the male took when he fled the scene and located footprints leading towards the house of the previously identified suspect,” Sgt. Gerard Quinn explained.

That same day at approximately 1:15 p.m., Swandrak and Durkin located Black at his home and arrested him on an unrelated warrant, police said. Following an investigation by Cranford PD, detectives were able to positively link Black to robbery at H&B Shell.

Chief Eric G. Mason commended both the Cranford and Clark Police detectives for working together.

“Unfortunately, crime often transcends local borders,” he said. “Only through teamwork and the sharing of information will the police obtain an advantage over the criminals.”

Black is being held on $50,000 bail and will have his first court appearance on Jan. 17.