NORTH BERGEN – Two North Bergen men were arrested this morning on robbery charges that stemmed from an incident this past weekend, according to Commander of the North Bergen Detective Bureau Lt. Frank Cannella.
Michael Bastidas, 18, and Rene Albert Lopez, 19, both of North Bergen were charged with robbery and had bail set at $25,000 each.
Cannella said that on Nov. 15 around 9:40 p.m., a 23-year-old North Bergen man exited a bus on Bergenline Avenue and 72nd Street. He was allegedly followed by Bastidas and Lopez to the entry of a building on Palisade Avenue, where the duo alleged grabbed him by his jacket and swung him around.
“Both [men allegedly] began to punch the victim in the face and body and tried to unzip his jacket and take his wallet,” said Cannella. “The victim fended off their attacks.”
Cannella said that one of the men grabbed a wooden stool that was in vestibule of the building and tried to allegedly strike the victim with it, but he was able to grab it and throw it to the floor.
At some point residents of the building heard noise and opened their doors to see what was happening, which was when Bastidas and Lopez allegedly fled the scene, said Cannella.
He said that several witnesses came forward and identified Bastidas and Lopez as the alleged perpetrators. Cannella said that they are both known to the department.
Read the North Bergen Reporter’s “Police Beat” this week for more police news. – Tricia Tirella
Our Digital Archive from 2000 – 2016
