What to Know
- Police are searching for suspected armed robbers following a standoff in Rahway, New Jersey, a source says
- SWAT teams surrounded an apartment building where the suspects were believed to be, but a raid turned up nothing
- No one was been reported injured
Police in New Jersey are continuing to search for four suspects behind an armed robbery on Friday evening after a standoff at a Rahway apartment building led SWAT teams to residents, but no robbers, a source familiar with the incident tells News 4 New York.
On Friday afternoon, police responded to an armed robbery call from a woman who said she was robbed by the four men, who had then hid in the building.
SWAT surrounded a small, four-story apartment building near the intersection of Irving and West Main streets around 6 p.m.
Roads around the Union County Arts Center on Irving Street were closed amid the standoff, and a business owner told News 4 that she was ordered to stay inside.
"They have just all the streets blocked off, you have all the cops, the fire department, the Rahway emergency service, Linden, Rahway police," the business owner said.
Terrified neighbors hid out in their homes and broadcast the police response live on Facebook.
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"I heard the police bullhorn," said Kevin Caldwell. "Ask the people, 'If you're inside the building, come out now.'"
But after busting down the door of an apartment with a battering ram and throwing in a flash grenade, police didn't find the people they were looking for — just tenants of the building, according to the source.
"At the time, I observed them lead maybe eight to nine people out of the house and take them to safety," Caldwell said.
Police continued to comb the neighborhood at nightfall, searching backyards with guns drawn. They even searched a nearby river, but after several hours, the search turned up nothing.
The incident has left many Rahway residents concerned.
"Scary — really, really scary," said James O'Connell. "When you see SWAT rolling down the street and they're carrying AR-15s and they're stacked four-deep on the door, it's cause for concern."
The investigation continued Saturday night, and police were seen back at the apartment building.
There have been no reported injuries.
