Paulsboro police have arrested three individuals in three separate business robberies in the past week.
PAULSBORO -- After a week of increased crime, borough police have made arrests or filed charges in three recent robberies, but continue to urge residents to be vigilant.
While theft of personal property is down about 70 percent from this time last year, there has still been a recent spike of crime, according to Police Chief Vernon Marino.
In the past week, three people were robbed in separate incidents at the Wells Fargo Bank, the Rite Aid store and the Wawa.
The Wells Fargo bank branch on Broad Street was robbed Wednesday, April 13, when a man entered the bank, wrote a note demanding money and handed the note to the teller. He was wearing a red Paulsboro wrestling sweatshirt over a plaid button-down shirt and jeans.
After still photos from the bank's security cameras were released, multiple calls came into the police department identifying the subject as Edward Di Vietro, a 32-year-old borough resident, Marino said. Di Vietro was arrested Tuesday at his home and charged with the robbery.
At around 5:30 p.m. Saturday, a man jumped a cashier at the Rite Aid store on Broad Street as she was bringing her cash drawer to a back room. The robber fled on foot and despite a foot chase, officers lost him in the woods behind the apartments on Baird Avenue.
Through video surveillance, police identified him as a 17-year-old suspect who had been arrested last year for a similar robbery at the same store. He has been charged with theft, robbery and theft by force.
Scott Geiger, 26, has been charged with robbing a Paulsboro Wawa store on Sunday, April 17, 2016. A third robbery took place in the early Sunday when a man walked into the Wawa on Berkley Road and wrote a note demanding money on a doughnut box.
The cashier was not able to open the cash register, but gave the robber eight cartons of cigarettes. Ptl. Daniel Romero had crossed paths with the man as he left the store a few minutes before the robbery and recognized his description. He was able to find the suspect in a matter of minutes walking down the street near the store.
Scott Geiger, 26, a Woodbury resident who is currently staying at a Billings Avenue address, was charged with robbery, theft with threats, theft of removable property and possession of a hypodermic needle. He was placed in Salem County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
"Unfortunately in the last three weeks we've had an increase in some major crime," Marino said. "At times we have an increase and other times it can be quiet."
While businesses are often the targets of thefts and robberies, personal property is also a major target.
The department reminds everyone to lock their car doors at all times and to secure their home as best as possible. If any resident would like an officer to check their property and offer tips for better security measures they are asked to call Lt. Gary Kille at 856-423-1101 and a police officer can be scheduled to walk through with you.
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