Suspects arrested in robbery of record store
BY MELISSA KARSH Staff Writer

RED BANK - Four out-of-towners, including a former employee, allegedly robbed and stabbed a Shrewsbury Avenue record-store owner Dec. 10 and then left him tied up in the store, according to Red Bank police.

The owner of Poncenos Records on Shrewsbury Avenue was stabbed in the arms and torso and his store was robbed by four males, police said.

Arrested in connection with the robbery were three men, all of Bronx, N.Y., who were identified as Jermaine Williams, 18; Damain J. Williams, 25; and Cedain Smith, 23, a former employee of the store who had knowledge of its operation, according to police. The fourth suspect was identified by police only as RN and is a 17-year-old male, according to police.

According to the police report, Jermaine Williams and the 17-year-old male juvenile entered the store at approximately 10:31 a.m. and locked the door behind them. The 17-year-old produced a knife and demanded money from the store owner, according to police.

Police said the store owner was then taken to a rear office inside the store, where he was beaten and stabbed by the juvenile and additional monies were taken from that office.

The two men then tied the store owner up with duct tape that they had brought with them and proceeded to take jewelry from a display case inside the store and then fled on foot, police reported.

The store owner was able to free himself and go to a neighboring store where he called the police. The store owner was transported to Riverview Medical Center for treatment and was later released.

After hearing the description of the suspects, Lt. Joshua Berbrick, the day watch commander, observed two subjects fitting that description enter a taxi along with two other subjects, who were later identified as Smith and Damain Williams, at the Red Bank Train Station, police said.

The cab was stopped and all four subjects were arrested after an investigation and the proceeds from the robbery were recovered, as was the knife, according to police.

"They came particularly to that store because they were familiar with its operation and it was just good police work by Lt. Berbrick that led to them being caught," said Red Bank Police Capt. Stephen McCarthy Tuesday. He said the robbery was an isolated incident and that it was not gang or drug related.

The 17-year-old juvenile was charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, criminal restraint and conspiracy to commit robbery, according to police.

The juvenile was committed to the Monmouth County Youth Detention Center, according to police.

Jermaine Williams was charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault, criminal restraint and conspiracy to commit robbery and his bail was set at $250,000, according to police.

Smith and Damain Williams were charged with complicity to commit robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery and their bail was set at $125,000 each, according to police.

The three subjects were committed to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, Freehold Township.