A Jersey City man was recently arrested in connection to five different armed robberies that occurred at multiple Hoboken businesses in January and February. Per a press release sent out by the Hoboken Police Department, Matthew Trontz of Jersey City was arrested on Tuesday, February 27th, 2024. In addition to this recent arrest, there has been an uptick in crime in surrounding neighborhoods, with other unrelated break-ins, robberies, carjackings, and other crimes reported in Hoboken and Jersey City. Read on for what we know.
Five Hoboken Robberies
On Friday, March 1st, the Hoboken Police Department sent out a press release announcing the arrest of 31-year-old Jersey City resident Matthew Trontz in connection to five different armed robberies in Hoboken during a seven-week period in January and February.
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The armed robberies took place on the following dates at these Hoboken locations:
- January 15th at Prime Gourmet, 720 Monroe Street
- February 12th at Prime Stop, 1029 Willow Avenue
- February 12th at Hoboken Mini Mart, 532 Washington Street
- February 20th at A&H Smoke Shop, 1222 Washington Street
- February 27th at Thomas’ Ice Cream Cafe, 214 Jefferson Street
“An investigation by the Hoboken Police Department’s Detectives Bureau connected the cases and ultimately led to the arrest of Trontz immediately following the final incident. In each case, Trontz brandished a weapon that the victims believed was a silver handgun or black stun gun. He fled each location with cash and/or vaping products. Upon arrest, officers found him in possession of a silver imitation toy gun, a black stun gun, a foldable pocketknife, and three cans of pepper spray,” the press release said.
Trontz was arrested in Jersey City by HPD and charged with multiple offenses, including First Degree Robbery, Second Degree Possession of a Handgun, Second Degree Possession of a Weapon for Unlawful Purposes, Second Degree Certain Persons Not to Have Weapons, Fourth Degree Possession of a Weapon for Unlawful Purposes, Fourth Degree Possession of Prohibited Weapons and Devices, and Fourth Degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon. He remains at the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
We reached out to the City of Hoboken regarding its policies and procedures for alerting residents about crimes. Marci Rubin, Hoboken’s Senior Public Information Assistant, gave us the following statement:
“The Hoboken Police Department follows the Attorney General guidelines when it comes to the release of information related to reported crimes. As you may know, we announce every arrest except for those involving juveniles, domestic violence cases, and sex crimes in a weekly arrest blotter (posted on the PD website). Information regarding reported crimes and ongoing investigations is released to the public when the PD believes it a public safety concern or feels the public and media can be of help in solving a crime or locating a person of interest. Details are not released if police feel it will hinder their investigation and an actor’s apprehension.”
Three Hoboken Carjackings
Three carjackings have occurred this year in Hoboken, on January 5th, January 15th, and February 8th. Two of the three carjackings were successful, and no serious injuries were reported by the victims of any of the instances. Arrests have been made in two of the three incidents, and persons of interest have been identified in the third.
Hoboken’s Chief of Police is Chief Steve Aguiar, a Hoboken native, and a 20+ year veteran. He shared the following statement via a spokesperson:
“The Hoboken Police Department is always concerned when criminal incidents occur in the City. I have full faith and confidence in our Department to maintain the upmost safety for our residents and visitors. I do not have the specific data regarding carjackings throughout the state, but I do see several carjackings occurring on a regular basis when reported through the NJSP. As for here in Hoboken, we have noticed an uptick when compared to this time last year, but I would not label it as incidents on the rise.”
Other Crimes in the Area Recently
In recent months, there has been an uptick in crimes reported in Hoboken and Jersey City neighborhoods.
On New Year’s Day, a member of the HG team stopped by Modcup Coffee at 479 Palisade Avenue in Jersey City Heights and saw that the glass on the front door was broken, and also heard about a recent break-in.
Jewelry valued at $31,000 was stolen from Love Locked, a shop and gift store in Downtown Jersey City, on January 11th, per NJ.com. One suspect distracted an employee while the other suspect stole the items from Love Locked in Jersey City near Grove Street and Bay Street around 2:40PM.
A source told The Hoboken Girl that Dream Nails, located at 601 Observer Highway in Hoboken, experienced a break-in on January 15th. The suspects broke into the salon around 3:40PM, stealing money from the register and a company iPad.
SubMaster, located on 305 1st Street in Hoboken, experienced a break-in on January 16th, according to the Hoboken Parents Facebook Group. The store faced theft of its cash register and damage to its double pane heavy glass front door.
The Cliff, located at 38 Congress Street in Jersey City Heights, experienced a break-in and robbery on Thursday, February 29th. A man smashed and climbed through the front window in broad daylight and then proceeded to trash the restaurant, stealing whatever they could. See the full post on The Cliff’s Instagram.
Most recently, on Monday, March 4th, a social media post from local pet supply store Hound About Town shared that the store had been vandalized. The downtown location at 218 Montgomery Street had been vandalized, as evidenced by a photo of the glass in the front door shattered.
We have also reached out to the City of Jersey City for a statement regarding the recent uptick in crimes, and will update this piece when receive more information.
If you know of or see any other crimes in the area, residents can contact the Hoboken Police Department at 201-420-2100 or the Jersey City Police Department at 201-547-5000.
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