Trenton man impersonates cop during street robbery

TRENTON » A city man was arrested over the weekend after he allegedly pretended to be a U.S. Marshal while robbing another man on the street.

Jermaine Jones, 35, is accused of flashing a fake badge while robbing a man at the corner of Lalor and Jersey streets Friday night.

The victim told police he was exiting his vehicle when Jones approached him and asked for money. The victim gave Jones some loose change, officials say, but that wasn’t enough for the fake cop robber.

Jones allegedly demanded more money from the victim, then claimed to be a U.S. Marshal and flashed a fake badge.

The victim then saw what he believed to be the handle of a gun, police say, so he gave Jones his wallet. Officials say Jones took $50 out of the victim’s wallet and fled the scene.

Officer John Carrigg IV was dispatched to the scene after the victim called police and noticed a business in the area was equipped with a surveillance system.

Officials say Carrigg saw a suspect on videotape who matched the description provided by the victim, and that cops later found that suspect — identified as Jones — in the 100 block of Home Avenue.

The victim later positively identified Jones as the man who impersonated law enforcement and robbed him on the street.