Atlantic City police stopped a NJ Transit train Monday morning to arrest a suspect in an armed robbery, police said.
A spokesman for NJ Transit said the stop in Egg Harbor City was made at the request of the local Atlantic City Police Department.
Manuel Alicea, 30, of Galloway Township, was arrested after Detective Nicholas Barardis received information that the suspect was at the Atlantic City Train Station with a woman, Capt. Kevin Fair said.
He is accused of striking a man with a handgun Aug. 14, in the 1100 block of Arctic Avenue. Alicea then allegedly stole the victim’s belongings and tried to steal his bicycle.
The victim was treated at the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center's City Campus.
Police responded to the train station in Atlantic City on Monday morning, but it already had left on its way to Philadelphia, according to the report.
Egg Harbor City Police Chief Marcella Alywin, Lt. Zach Perna and Officers Darryl Fonville and Brian McKenna found Alicea and took him into custody, Fair said.
He was in possession of a loaded handgun, according to the charges.
A witness said the train was stopped at about 10:45 a.m. The person then described two people eventually being taken into police custody, a male and female.
NJ Transit and Absecon police assisted in the search for Alicea, Fair said.
“This is a great example of the strong relationships that have been formed by law enforcement in Atlantic County,” Atlantic City Police Chief James Sarkos said. “An armed, violent offender was arrested due to the coordination and teamwork of not only the police officers from the involved agencies, but also the public safety telecommunicators in the respective towns working hand in hand to provide needed information.”
Alicea was charged with robbery, aggravated assault, theft, possession of a large-capacity magazine, possession of hollow-point ammunition, obstruction of justice, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting arrest and two counts each of unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and certain person not to possess a weapon.
He was one of six people arrested in 2018, after complaints about drug dealing from an Atlantic City hotel room.
Alicea was sentenced to five years in prison in 2019, court records show. It was not clear when he was released.
He is being remanded to the Atlantic County Justice Facility.
