Two men were robbed of groceries, then punched in the face by three males. Also $600 stolen from Beans on Church Street. From Lt. Scott Buehler:

Robbery

On 5/25/11 at approximately 10:20 PM, police responded to the area of Chestnut Street and Forest Street on a report of a robbery. Upon arrival, police spoke to the two victims, a twenty-one year old Montclair male and a twenty year old Montclair male. The victims told police that they were walking north on Forest Street with groceries in their hands when they heard a few males calling towards them as they crossed Chestnut Street. The victims stated that they were then approached by three black males in their early twenties wearing tank tops. One of the suspects was wearing cargo pants while the other two suspects wore jeans. The suspects attacked the victims by punching them in the face and stole a shopping bag containing the groceries. It is believed that the suspects fled southbound after the assault, as the grocery bag was found on Forest Street south of the incident location.

The twenty-one year old male suffered lacerations to his nose and face as a result of the assault and was transported to Saint Joseph’s Hospital for treatment.

Anyone with further information is asked to contact Detective Charles Cunningham at 973-509-4716.

Arrest

On 5/6/11 at approximately 5:30 PM, police were dispatched to Beans coffee shop on Church Street on a report of a theft. The caller, an employee at the establishment, stated that at approximately 5:20 PM on that date, an individual walked into the store and asked for change. The employee opened the drawer and found that she was not able to make change with cash that was in the register. The suspect then began walking around the store while the employee went outside for a moment to recover the chairs and table that are kept outside on the sidewalk. When she walked back into the store, she observed the suspect standing behind the counter. When she asked the suspect what he was doing, his answer was ambiguous. The suspect then fled the store and was last seen walking east in the area of the Clairidge Cinema. The employee then checked the register and discovered that approximately $600 was taken from the register.

As a result of a continuing investigation, detectives identified Joshua Cain as a suspect in this incident. Detectives located Cain on Union Street on 5/24/11 at approximately 7:20 PM and placed him under arrest. Cain, 35, of Montclair was charged with theft of movable property. He was later released.

Theft

On 5/25/11 at approximately 8:00 PM, police responded to a Midland Avenue residence on a report of a stolen bicycle. The complainant stated that sometime after midnight on the 25th, her son’s bicycle had been stolen from the rear porch of their residence. The bicycle is described as a chrome and silver Mongoose BMX Elray with a yellow seat and yellow handle grips. The bicycle is valued at $150. There are no suspects at this time.

Anyone with further information is asked to contact the Juvenile Aid Bureau at 973-509-4733.