Good one from the annals of amusing crime stories courtesy of the Asbury Park Press:
SHREWSBURY — A Red Bank man walked into a department store, asked a cashier for a pen, then used it to write a holdup note, police said.
Eric Greene, 23, of West Bergen Place, fled from the Marshalls store with a bag of cash, but with help from police in two other communities, he was taken into custody about 5 1/2 hours later, authorities said.
Shrewsbury Police Capt. Timothy Spencer said Greene walked into the store in Shrewsbury Plaza on Broad Street around 8:45 p.m. Saturday, approached the cashier and asked for a pen. Greene wrote a threatening note, demanding money and indicating he had a weapon, although no weapon was shown, police said.
When the worker handed over an undisclosed amount of cash, Greene stashed the money in a Marshalls bag, then ran away, said Spencer.
Witnesses gave local police a description, the officers gave that description to police in surrounding communities. Red Bank Sgt. Errico Vescio realized the description was similar to Greene. Vescio then went to Shrewsbury, reviewed some evidence with police there, and was able to help identify Greene as the man responsible for the robbery, said Red Bank Capt. Stephen McCarthy.
Red Bank police told Shrewsbury officers that Greene was known to frequent Asbury Park, said Spencer.
Around 2:15 a.m. Sunday, Asbury Park police arrested Greene in the city.
He was charged with robbery and sent to the Monmouth County Jail, Freehold Township, with bail set at $50,000.
