A New Jersey man has been indicted on charges of robbery and kidnapping after allegedly holding an employee at gunpoint and stealing cash and merchandise from a Garnerville smoke shop, Rockland County District Attorney Tom Walsh announced.
Nelson Morales, 45, of Cliffside Park, NJ, was indicted by a Rockland County Grand Jury on one count of first-degree robbery and one count of second-degree kidnapping. He is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Kevin J. Russo in Rockland County Court.
According to investigators, on June 25, Morales entered the Finest Vape and Smoke Shop in Garnerville wearing a mask and carrying what appeared to be a pistol. He went directly to the rear of the store, where he encountered a lone employee.
Morales allegedly pointed the weapon at the employee and ordered him to open a safe. When the employee said he didn’t know the code, Morales forced him to the front of the store to open the cash register. The employee complied, handing over approximately $800 in cash. Morales also took several store items, placing them in a bag before fleeing.
The employee, who was not injured, was not allowed to move except as instructed and feared for his life, officials said.
The case was investigated by the Town of Haverstraw Police Department, with support from the New York State Police and the Rockland County Sheriff’s Department.
If convicted, Morales faces a sentence of five to 25 years in state prison.
