Armed robbery suspect caught after ATM carjacking scare and chase in Bound Brook
BOUND BROOK, NJ – A woman leaving an ATM on West Union Avenue ran for her life after a masked man with a black handgun tried to force his way into her vehicle, then jumped inside and stole about $800 in cash along with her wallet and identification, authorities said.
Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said the robbery happened Sunday afternoon, December 28, at about 1:05 p.m., when Bound Brook police responded to a 9-1-1 call reporting an unknown problem in the area. Officers met with the victim, who reported she had just withdrawn money and returned to her vehicle when the suspect approached, banged on the window, and pointed the gun while attempting to gain entry. The victim fled, and the suspect got into the vehicle and took the cash, wallet, and personal identification, prosecutors said.
The victim described the suspect as wearing a hooded sweatshirt, black pants with white stripes, and a bandana covering his face. Investigators said they determined the suspect was driving a Subaru wagon with tinted windows and a missing hubcap.
Authorities said detectives spotted a similar Subaru in Bound Brook on Wednesday, December 31. A Bound Brook patrol officer attempted a directed motor vehicle stop, but the driver fled, driving erratically toward Route 287. Police ended the pursuit for safety reasons, prosecutors said.
Using investigative methods, detectives later located the Subaru in a parking lot in Piscataway and identified the driver as Steven P. Loureiro, 40, of Bound Brook. Loureiro was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Bound Brook Police Department, prosecutors said.
A Superior Court search warrant was executed at Loureiro’s Bound Brook residence, where authorities said they recovered clothing matching the robbery description and an imitation firearm, which were seized as evidence.
Loureiro was charged Wednesday, December 31, with first-degree armed robbery and second-degree eluding. He was lodged in the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing, authorities said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit at 908-231-7100 or the Bound Brook Borough Police Department at 732-356-0800. Tips can also be submitted through the STOPit app using access code SOMERSETNJ, through Somerset County Communications at 1-888-577-TIPS 8477, or via the prosecutor’s website at SomersetProsNJ.gov. Anonymous tips will be kept confidential, authorities said.
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Key Points
- Prosecutors say a masked man with a handgun stole about $800 and a wallet from a woman after she fled her vehicle near an ATM on West Union Avenue
- Investigators linked the suspect to a Subaru wagon and later located the vehicle in Piscataway after a stop attempt and terminated pursuit in Bound Brook
- Steven P. Loureiro, 40, was charged with first-degree armed robbery and second-degree eluding after a search recovered matching clothing and an imitation firearm