Unidentified New York Jets player robbed at gunpoint, no injuries: Report
An NFL player was once again a target of a robbery. An unidentified New York Jets player was reportedly robbed at gunpoint in Morristown, New Jersey, last Saturday, Feb. 15. Two people, one of them being an unidentified Jets player, were stalked for 30 miles before being robbed at gunpoint.
NBC New York reported that the victims were traveling from Manhattan, New York, earlier that day, and the perpetrators followed them to Morristown, New Jersey, where the victims were reportedly living. The robbery occurred at around 8 a.m.
One neighbor, who chose not to be identified, shared her eyewitness account with NBC New York.
“To be honest with you, I cannot make sense of what happened because I saw them," she said. "They took something. And the door, the garage door opened and I was thinking, oh my God, this is a robbery.”
She shared that she saw three men get out of an SUV carrying guns. The robbers used the weapons to threaten the victims at gunpoint. They then took several personal items and money belonging to the victim before getting away.
The unidentified witness explained her shock at such an incident happening in Morristown, a historic town with a population of slightly more than 20,000.
“This is the best community ever you can think of. You can even sleep with the door open. Before what I saw. Now I look all over the place. You know, it's scary.”
Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty released a statement reassuring the public that this was an isolated incident and the public was not in any danger. The alleged criminals are still on the loose and investigators have asked the public to share any relevant information.
The Morristown Department of Public Safety released the following statement:
“On Saturday, February 15th, at approximately 8:00 am, the Morristown Bureau of Police responded to several 911 calls reporting an alleged armed robbery in the Windmill Pond section of town. ... The suspects allegedly took money and personal items before fleeing the scene. No injuries were reported. ...
"At this time, it is believed this was an isolated incident, as it appears the victims were targeted and followed from Manhattan. ... The investigation is ongoing in consultation with the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office."
Crimes targeting NFL players are on the rise
The robbery appears to be targeted and continues a string of robberies affecting NFL players, although this is the first time a player was threatened physically at gunpoint.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and quarterback Patrick Mahomes had their homes broken into last year when they were out-of-state playing an away game. Seven Chilean men linked to the robberies were charged by prosecutors in Florida earlier this week on Tuesday.
The FBI has also subsequently released a statement to warn NBA and NFL players of South American Theft Groups targeting them for robberies.