A man has been charged in a string of armed robberies and the assault of a gas station employee in Bergen and Passaic counties in February.
The robberies, all on Feb. 5, included a Valero gas station in Hasbrouck Heights, a Delta gas station in Clifton and A&C Grocery Store in Paterson.
After a months long investigation, detectives said they identified Husem Nasri, 24, of Elmwood Park, as the robber. Earlier this month, he was charged with four counts of armed robbery, four counts of aggravated assault, two counts of terroristic threats as well as theft and multiple weapons offenses, authorities said.
He was apprehended on Tuesday by FBI agents in Alexandria, Virginia.
Hasbrouck Heights Police responded to a report of an armed robbery at the Delta gas station on Route 17 on Feb. 5. During the failed robbery attempt, Nasri struck the gas station attendant with a gun before fleeing the scene, police said.
Officers investigating the robbery later communicated with nearby departments and found that similar armed robberies happened that same day at a Delta gas station in Clifton and A&C Grocery Store in Paterson.
In the Clifton robbery, Nasri pointed a gun at the gas station attendant and fled the area after the worker secured himself inside the building, authorities said. In the grocery store robbery, Nasri pointed a firearm at multiple employees and threatened to kill them, authorities said. Workers handed over $400 in cash, prosecutors said.
Detectives reviewed surveillance footage and found the subject in all three robberies was wearing similar clothing and driving the same car. The vehicle was identified as a black Dodge Challenger that had been stolen in New York City on Feb. 2, officials said.
Nasri is in custody at Alexandria Detention Center in Virginia and is awaiting extradition to New Jersey. Attorney information was not immediately available.
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Nicolas Fernandes may be reached at nfernandes@njadvancemedia.com.
