South Orange Police made three arrests in last Sunday’s armed robbery of four Seton Hall University students, one of whom was pistol whipped.
The four were walking near the intersection of Prospect Street and Irvington Avenue at around 1:00 a.m. when three men, all wearing hooded sweatshirts, got out of a dark green minivan and approached them with a silver handgun, according to Chief James Chelel.
Initially, police believed there had been a fourth man behind the wheel of the car, but in the course of the investigation they discovered there had been only three, Chelel said in a phone interview Friday afternoon.
The men forced them to walk behind a building, where one of the students was punched in the face and another was pistol whipped. All of the students were robbed of their wallets and cell phones, and the men fled in the mini van, said Chelel.
After an investigation, police discovered that one of the men used a student’s credit cards at various locations. On Tuesday, detectives found the minivan in Irvington, and with help from the William Paterson University Police Department arrested Guillermo Estrada, 19, of Irvington, who is a student at that college, said Chelel.
Further investigation led police to arrest Lynwood Duncan, 18, and Lamont Harris, 19, both of Newark, on Thursday, said Chelel.
The three each were charged with four counts of robbery, kidnapping, possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and conspiracy. Estrada also was charged with possession and use of a victim’s credit cards.
Bail was set by the Honorable Judge Ramona Santiago at $300,000 for each of the men, who were remanded to the Essex County jail, said Chelel.
