A teen has been arrested and charged with robbery at gunpoint stemming from a private merchandise sales transaction¸ Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced onThursday.

Giancarlo Nevarez, 19, of the Clarksburg section of Millstone, has been charged with first-degree armed robbery, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon in connection with the incident.

The case background …

On Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 3:06 p.m., the Howell Township police received a 9-1-1 call reporting a shot-fired incident in the area of the 4200 block of Route 9 south in Howell.

An investigation by members of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Bureau and the Howell Township Police Department revealed that a male victim reported that he had contacted Nevarez through a social media platform to sell him a couple of pairs of high-end sneakers.

Upon their meeting, Nevarez was shown the sneakers and then he presented a firearm, fired one shot and left with the merchandise. No one was struck and there were no injuries as a result of the gunshot.

Prosecutor Santiago would like to remind the public that the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office and other local agencies have set up safe exchange zones to protect the safety of our residents and minimize the risk of someone becoming a victim of robbery through in-person transactions.

Anyone with information about this matter is urged to contact Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Thomas Manzo at 800-533-7443 or Howell Police Department Detective Ryan Jackson at 732-938-4111.

— Edited press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office

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