17July 2020
A New Jersey chiropractic doctor has been charged in connection with a string of robberies and attacks across three counties, authorities said Thursday. Erick K. Macias, 35, of Wharton, faces charges of robbery, intensified assault and weapons belongings in the crimes, which occurred the previous two months in Morris, Passaic and Bergen counties, according to court records.
“During the start of June, a number of communities in northern New Jersey experienced a series of strong-arm break-ins that appeared to have been dedicated by the same individual,” Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said in a statement.
The crimes include: A break-in with a weapon on June 6 when the suspect entered a gas station on Grand Street in Paterson, pushed an employee aside and took $500 from the register before getting away. The suspect forgot his hat at the scene. It was described as a gray, snap-back hat with a symbol of New Jersey on it, according to an arrest affidavit.
On Tuesday, investigators from several towns, equipped with a search warrant, raided Macias' apartment in Wharton and arrested him after collecting proof, Musella said.
Macias, who runs his chiropractic organisation in Union City, was charged with one count of first-degree robbery, 5 counts of second-degree break-in, and several counts of intensified assault, easy assault, theft and weapons charges, according to Musella and court files.
The affidavits specify that after his arrest, Macias confessed in recorded interviews to some of the robberies. It was not clear Friday whether he had actually retained a lawyer.
Macias is being kept in the Bergen County Jail, pending a court hearing on Monday, according to jail records. Civil court documents submitted in Superior Court of Bergen County show the chiropractic practitioner had been experiencing financial issues over the last few years.
In August 2019, Bank of America sued him for an outstanding credit card balance of$ 35,838.92. The case was dismissed in February, court records show.
In December 2016, American Express-Mercedes Benz sued Macias for breach of agreement and unjustified enrichment for stopping working to pay a $4,789.48 credit card costs. The suit was opted for an unspecified amount, according to court records.
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