Cops Arrest Last 2 Suspects in Jewelry Store Robbery

The remaining two suspects wanted in connection with the Feb. 22 armed robbery of a Lawrence Road jewelry store were arrested last week, Lawrence Township police spokesman Lt. Charles Edgar announced today (March 11).

Edgar identified the suspects as Daniel H. Parra, 32, of Copperfield Drive, Hamilton, and Jean. L. Leontus, 26, of Brafman Drive, Hamilton.

The alleged gunman in the incident, a 17-year-old Lawrence Township boy, was arrested just hours after the holdup at Marco’s Jewelry in the 1100 block of Lawrence Road (Route 206).

Edgar said Parra was arrested on Feb. 28 on charges of robbery, theft, unlawful possession a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. He said Parra was also charged with using a juvenile to commit a criminal offense, and was sent to the Mercer County Correction Center in Hopewell Township in lieu of $250,000 bail.

Leontus was arrested on March 2 and charged with robbery and theft, according to Edgar. He added that Leontus was sent to the county correction center in lieu of $175,000 bail.

Edgar said the arrests of Parra and Leontus were the result of follow-up investigation by Detectives Joseph Lech IV and William Chester and Officer James Vardanega.

The holdup at the jewelry store was reported to police at 11:31 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 22.

that two men entered the business and one – believed to be the 17-year-old – allegedly displayed a handgun and demanded cash from a store employee. The other man acted as a lookout.

The gunman and lookout fled the store after receiving an undisclosed amount of money from the employee, according to Edgar.

While only two robbers were seen by the store employee, the involvement of a third person in the heist was suggested by a witness who happened to be walking out of the nearby Tastee Sub Shop at the time.

The witness, who spoke to Lawrenceville Patch and to police, said the two bandits jumped into a sport utility vehicle parked on Lawn Park Avenue and that the vehicle sped away “before the doors were even closed,” indicating that a third person likely acted as the driver of the getaway vehicle.

Township police quickly identified the 17-year-old as a suspect in the crime and detained him for questioning that afternoon.

Later that evening the teenager was formally charged with aggravated assault, robbery, theft, unlawful possession a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and was sent to the Mercer County Youth Detention Center in Ewing Township, Edgar announced the next day.