Arrest Made in Robbery of La Costera Taxi Cab Driver

Aberdeen Township Police have charged a Belmar man with threatening a La Costera tax driver with a knife in order to rob him at 2 o'clock in the morning of April 9. 

Police detectives have charged Ezekiel L. Vega, 20, Shark River Ave. in Belmar with robbery, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and theft.

Police say that the taxi driver picked up Vega at Marc Hampton apartments in Matawan and drove him to Barrington Gardens apartments on Aberdeen Road in Aberdeen.

There, police said Vega produced a knife and demanded money.  He is accused of taking an undisclosed amount of cash, a cell phone, and the victim’s wallet. He  fled on foot toward Long Brook apartments in Matawan, according to police. 

See the report in the Matawan-Aberdeen Patch on April 10.

He was taken into custody on April 16 and brought to the county jail, where he is being held on $170,000 bail with no 10% option.  

James Jeffrey, 21, last known address Woodland Dr., Aberdeen, was charged with conspiracy to commit robbery in connection with the same incident.  

Jeffrey's bail was set at $150,000 with no 10 % option.  He is currently lodged in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution. Jeffrey faces a slew of charges following his recent arrest for robberies in which he allegedly threatened workers with a knife at the Matawan Quick Chek and the Old Bridge 7-Eleven, stole a motorcycle from a Matawan development and burglarized a Matawan residence.  

Aberdeen Police investigators were Police Officer Martin Walsh, Det. Sgt. Hank Chevalier, and Det. Louis Nanna.  Detectives from Matawan PD also assisted.