BRICK TOWNSHIP — Vongvichit Vatthanavong, 50, of Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty to robbery in connection with an incident in Brick Township on Jan. 5, 2023, announced Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.
Vatthanavong pleaded before Judge Kenneth T. Palmer on May 23. At time of his sentencing on July 18, the state will be seeking a 12 and a half years New Jersey State Prison and be subject to the terms of the No Early Release Act.
On Jan. 5, 2023, at approximately 12:20 a.m., officers from the Brick Township Police Department responded to a residence on Pershing Avenue for a report of a robbery.
Investigation revealed that as the victim homeowner was exiting his vehicle and entering his residence, he was approached by three masked individuals – one of them armed with what appeared to be a handgun.
One of the suspects struck the victim in the head, knocking him to the ground. The three suspects then stole approximately $3,000 in United States currency, a watch and a cellular phone from the victim before fleeing the scene.
Continuing investigation over the course of the next year by the Brick Township Police Department Detective Bureau resulted in Vatthanavong being identified as one of the individuals responsible for the robbery.
He voluntarily appeared at Brick Township Police Headquarters for questioning on Feb. 7, 2024; on that date, Vatthanavong was taken into custody at Brick Township Police Headquarters and charged accordingly.
He was transported to the Ocean County Jail, where he has been detained since that date. The other two suspects in the robbery have yet to be identified.
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