Prosecutors say the attackers used guns and kitchen knives during the violent Old River Road robbery, which was linked to an Anti-Tren gang member.
EDGEWATER, NJ — Six men from four states have been charged in a violent armed robbery at an Edgewater business where victims were restrained with tape and charging cables, beaten and sexually assaulted at gunpoint and knifepoint, Bergen County prosecutors announced Wednesday.
The June 24 attack involved at least one alleged member of Anti-Tren, a splinter faction of the Tren de Aragua criminal organization, according to Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella.
Investigators identified the defendants as Yorwin Jesus Dudamel Gil, 24, of Elmhurst, Illinois; Jeider Jose Gonzalez Luchon, 25, of Chicago; Carlos Osorio Rondon, 22, of Aurora, Colorado; Lisandro Ramirez Acosta, 26, of Richmond Hill, New York; Jhon Dervis Simancas Melean, 30, of Chicago; and Jose A. Uzcategui Pacheco, 24, of Chicago.
Police did not disclose the immigration status of the men accused.
Victims Confronted Before Dawn
Edgewater police were notified on June 24 that an armed robbery had occurred earlier that morning at a business on Old River Road.
Investigators said the attack began at approximately 3:30 a.m. when multiple suspects confronted six victims inside the business.
The assailants allegedly displayed at least two firearms and took two knives from the business’s kitchen. They ordered the victims into the kitchen and bound their arms and legs using tape and electronic charging cables, prosecutors said.
One victim was repeatedly struck in the head with a handgun. Another was allegedly beaten by several attackers.
Prosecutors said two victims were then sexually assaulted while being threatened with guns and knives.
The attackers allegedly stole cash, cellphones, identification documents and credit cards before fleeing.
Nationwide Investigation Identified Six Suspects
The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigations Squad joined Edgewater police at the scene and launched what authorities described as an intensive nationwide investigation.
Detectives spent several weeks identifying the suspects and obtaining arrest warrants between July and September.
The investigation linked at least one person involved in the robbery to Anti-Tren, prosecutors said. Federal authorities have previously described Anti-Tren as a splinter organization associated with Tren de Aragua and tied its alleged members to racketeering, violence, sex trafficking and other organized criminal activity.
Shore News Network previously reported on federal charges against 27 alleged Anti-Tren members in a case involving accusations of murder, trafficking and racketeering in New York.
Authorities have not said which of the six Edgewater defendants is allegedly associated with the group.
The investigation was conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under Chief Jeff Angermeyer and the Edgewater Police Department under Chief Donald Martin.
Two Men Accused of Sexual Assaults
Gonzalez Luchon faces the most extensive set of charges announced in the case.
He was charged with six counts of first-degree armed robbery and eight counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault. The sexual-assault charges were filed under two separate provisions of New Jersey law covering alleged assaults committed during another crime and assaults involving a weapon or threatened use of a weapon.
He was also charged with unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, terroristic threats, possession of a knife for an unlawful purpose, aggravated assault by pointing a firearm and unlawful possession of a knife.
Simancas Melean was initially charged on July 24 with six counts of first-degree armed robbery and multiple firearm, knife and aggravated-assault offenses. At the time, he was already incarcerated in Illinois on an unrelated matter.
Prosecutors filed four additional first-degree aggravated sexual-assault charges against him on Sept. 10.
New Jersey’s criminal statutes classify armed robbery and aggravated sexual assault among the state’s most serious first-degree offenses. The relevant provisions are contained in the state’s official criminal code.
Remaining Defendants Face Armed Robbery Charges
Dudamel Gil and Uzcategui Pacheco were each charged with six counts of first-degree armed robbery.
Both men also face charges of unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, possession of a knife for an unlawful purpose, aggravated assault by pointing a firearm and unlawful possession of a knife.
Osorio Rondon and Ramirez Acosta were also identified by detectives as alleged participants in the robbery. Their charges stem from the same investigation, according to prosecutors.
The defendants come from the Chicago area, Colorado and New York, underscoring the multistate scope of the investigation.
Edgewater Businesses Previously Targeted
The attack is separate from another series of armed robberies that targeted Edgewater businesses in 2025.
SNN previously reported that four people were indicted in a robbery spree targeting Edgewater spas. In those cases, prosecutors said masked suspects stole phones and other property from victims at gunpoint during two early-morning robberies along River Road.
Authorities have not announced any connection between those earlier cases and the June 2026 Old River Road attack.
Charges Remain Allegations
The June case was investigated jointly by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and Edgewater police.
Prosecutors did not identify the business or release the names of the victims. No details about the victims’ conditions were provided in the portion of the announcement reviewed for this report.
All charges are accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Readers can follow continuing coverage of New Jersey, crime, Bergen County, armed robbery and public safety.
