WILDWOOD — Police are still searching for three, of four, men involved in a home invasion robbery in the 200 block of West Maple Avenue, here.
According to reports, the men entered the residence around 10 a.m. on Monday, bound several victims with duct tape and threatened them with a handgun. Police said that two victims were struck in the head with a handgun, but no one was hospitalized.
The men fled by taking a 1999 Dodge Durango belonging to one of the victims and left the city via the Garden State Parkway.
At 11:10 a.m., Middle Township police had spotted the vehicle on the parkway at milepost 20 northbound, and were asking for assistance prior to making a stop on a vehicle that fit the description of one wanted in connection with a Wildwood armed robbery.
A short time later, the driver of the stolen vehicle lost control and crashed the vehicle into the woods at milepost 22, according to police reports.
The driver was caught with the help of the State Police and the Cape May County Sheriff’s Department K-9 unit.
The driver, 19-year-old Jonas Rodriguez, of Williamstown, was arrested and was placed in the county jail in lieu of $200,000 cash bail. Rodriguez was charged with robbery, criminal restraint, conspiracy to commit robbery and theft of a motor vehicle.
Police and the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office are continuing to interview the victims to assist in locating the other three suspects who remained at large as of Monday night.
Police have identified one of those three men as Wilfredo Cortez, 27, of Camden. Cortez, who has been identified as the gunman, faces the following charges: rob-bery, conspiracy to commit robbery, possession of a handgun, unlawful possession of a handgun, criminal restraint and aggravated assault.
The other two suspects have not been identified by police.
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