Police say a confrontation in a shopping center parking lot escalated when a suspect allegedly displayed what appeared to be a firearm.
Wall Township, NJ – A Neptune Township man was arrested following a reported road rage incident in Wall Township in which a driver allegedly threatened another motorist with what appeared to be a firearm, according to police.
Authorities said the incident was reported Thursday at approximately 7:07 p.m. when the Manasquan Police Department notified Wall Township police about a road rage confrontation that had occurred about 30 minutes earlier on Sea Girt Avenue.
Key Points
- Wall Township police arrested a Neptune man after a road rage incident involving a weapon.
- The confrontation occurred in the parking lot of Sea Girt Mall on State Highway 35.
- Police later determined the item displayed was not a real firearm.
Officers met with the victim shortly after the report and learned the encounter occurred in the parking lot of the Sea Girt Mall Shopping Center located at 2204 State Highway 35.
According to police, the victim reported that a male driver brandished what appeared to be a firearm during the dispute, causing the victim to fear for his life.
Suspect identified through investigation
Wall Township Patrolman Trent Powers and Detective John Spinapont reviewed surveillance footage and gathered information from the victim, which led investigators to identify the suspect as Robert Simmons, 43, of Neptune.
On Friday at approximately 5:30 p.m., Spinapont and Powers located Simmons and his vehicle on State Highway 33 in Neptune Township.
During the investigation, officers determined that the object displayed during the incident resembled the barrel of a firearm but was not an actual firearm.
Weapons charges filed
Police said further investigation revealed Simmons was in possession of a pepper ball gun and a replica firearm, which he was prohibited from possessing under New Jersey’s “Certain Persons” weapons statutes.
Simmons was arrested and charged with Certain Persons Not to Have Weapons, a fourth-degree offense, Terroristic Threats, a third-degree offense, and Simple Assault, a disorderly persons offense.
He was transported to Wall Township Police Headquarters for processing and later lodged at the Monmouth County Correctional Facility.
According to police, Simmons was released Saturday under New Jersey’s bail reform guidelines.
Tags: Wall Township NJ, road rage, Monmouth County crime