Little Ferry, NJ – An attempted robbery by an unarmed man was thwarted when he targeted a store directly across the street from police headquarters in Little Ferry.
On Wednesday, February 21, shortly before noon, Santiago Munoz-Pelaez, wearing a blue hoodie, batting gloves, and a mask covering his nose and mouth, entered the Liberty Street CVS. The pharmacist, upon reading Munoz-Pelaez’s note, backed away and informed the 25-year-old Paterson resident that she was calling the police, according to Little Ferry Police Chief James Walters, according to the Little Ferry Police Department.
Following the failed attempt at CVS, Munoz-Pelaez didn’t flee the area but instead tried to rob the nearby Lucky Stop Deli. His attempt was cut short as Officer Mike Hinchcliffe arrived on the scene just as Munoz-Pelaez was reaching over the counter to grab money inside the register.
Munoz-Pelaez, already wanted on two warrants out of Clifton, has been charged with two counts of robbery. He was being held in the Bergen County Jail, awaiting a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack.