Bergen County Man & Passaic County Man Were Taken Into Custody & Charged In Lodi Robbery & Shooting

Friday, September 6, 2024, 6:00 P.M. ET. 3 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

LODI, NJ.- On Wednesday, September 4, 2024, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella reported that following an investigation, Jaquil M. Brown, 29, of Paterson, New Jersey, and Shaheem A. Clark, 19, of Elmwood Park, New Jersey, were taken into custody and jailed after being charged in connection with an armed robbery and shooting incident.

     According to charging documents, on Sunday, July 21, 2024, shortly before 11:30 p.m., members of the Lodi Police Department and the New Jersey State Police responded to a 911 Emergency Call reporting an armed robbery and shooting that began in a parking lot of a business located on Route 17 in Lodi, New Jersey, and ended on Route 80 in Paterson, New Jersey.

Armed Robbery Committed

     Responding Police Officers learned that the incident started when a group of friends exited the business on Route 17. The group then entered their vehicle, which was parked in an adjacent parking lot. Before they could leave, a man on foot opened the car door, reached across the front passenger compartment, and pointed a handgun at the head of one of the occupants. The armed man demanded an expensive wristwatch from one of the occupants and struck the individual in the head with the gun. 

     The armed man forcibly removed the watch from the individual’s wrist and then jumped into a waiting getaway car with a second man who was parked next to the victim’s car. The two men then fled the scene.

Shots Fired

     The victims followed the suspects onto Route 17 and then onto Route 80. While driving on Route 80 in Paterson, New Jersey, the front-seat passenger of the suspect vehicle leaned out the window and fired two gunshots at the victims who were behind them in traffic. One of the gunshots struck the windshield, causing glass fragments to injure the driver. The victims pulled over on Route 80 West in Paterson and called police, while the suspects continued to flee.

     Responding Police Officers notified the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigations Squad, and Detectives responded and launched an investigation.

     During the investigation, Detectives identified the suspects’ vehicle and located it in Paterson, New Jersey. Through investigative efforts, Detectives developed information linking Brown to the vehicle and subsequently identified him as the driver during the robbery. Additionally, Detectives identified and determined that Clark was the second suspect in the armed robbery and shooting, and he was the front-seat passenger in the car that night.

Charges Filed

     Accordingly, following the investigation, on Thursday, July 25, 2024, Brown was located in Paterson and was taken into custody by Detectives and formally charged with first-degree Armed Robbery; second-degree Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery; second-degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon; second-degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose; and third-degree Receiving Stolen Property.

     Brown was processed on the charges and was remanded to the Bergen County Jail. On August 7, 2024, Brown appeared before a Bergen County Superior Court Judge who ordered Brown to be detained pending trial.

     On Wednesday, August 28, 2024, Detectives learned that Clark was already in custody at the Hudson County Correctional Facility on an unrelated criminal matter. Accordingly, Clark was formally charged with first-degree Attempted Murder; first-degree Armed Robbery; second-degree Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery; second-degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon; and second-degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose. 

     Clark remains in custody at the Hudson County Correctional Facility pending the adjudication of the criminal charges in the unrelated matter.

“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”