Story by Ethan
On August 1st, 2025, the arrest of Julio A. Perez, age 24, Justin L. Acosta, age 21, Kenny M. Vega, age 23, and Jaden A. Vasquez, age 21 was announced by Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella. Julio A. Perez was charged with first-degree armed robbery, second-degree conspiracy to commit armed robbery, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and third-degree terroristic threats. Justin L. Acosta was charged with first-degree armed robbery, second-degree conspiracy to commit armed robbery, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, third-degree terroristic threats, and fourth-degree possession of a large capacity magazine. Kenny M. Vega was charged with first-degree armed robbery, second-degree conspiracy to commit armed robbery, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and third-degree terroristic threats. Jaden A. Vasquez was charged with first-degree armed robbery, second-degree conspiracy to commit armed robbery, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and third-degree terroristic threats. The arrest and charges against Julio A. Perez, Justin L. Acosta, Kenny M. Vega, and Jaden A. Vasquez were a result of an investigation launched by Chief Matthew Finck of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, and Chief Donald Martin of the Edgewater Police Department.
According to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, at 7:50 p.m. on June 13th, 2024, officers from the Edgewater Police Department responded to an armed robbery in a parking lot on River Road. Officers discovered that five victims, two of them being minors, parked their vehicle once two armed and masked men approached them. The assailants threatened the victims with violence if they did not cooperate, demanded the keys to the car, and patted down all individuals. One suspect attempted to use the grip of his handgun to break the passenger side window but failed. Both masked men were able to flee in a getaway vehicle arranged before the police arrived. The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigation Squad was notified of the robbery and started an investigation with the help of the Edgewater Police Department.
Over the next several months detectives were able to identify the alleged getaway vehicle and linked it to Julio A. Perez and Justin L. Acosta, pinning them as the suspects for the armed robbery. On February 12th, 2025, Justin L. Acosta was located and arrested outside his former place of residence in Guttenberg, New Jersey. His vehicle was impounded and searched by officers with a court-authorized search warrant. Hidden inside the car was a large capacity ammunition magazine, a standard handgun magazine, and 9mm ammunition. The next day a court-authorized search warrant was executed by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigation Squad at Justin L. Acosta’s place of residence in Charles Town, New Jersey. On the same day, the Hudson County Regional SWAT Team carried out a court-authorized search warrant at Julio A. Perez’s place of residence in North Bergen, New Jersey. While Julio A. Perez was never located, he surrendered himself to the police on February 18th, 2025. Over the next several months and further investigation detectives were able to identify Kenny M. Vega and Jaden A. Vasquez as additional suspects in the robbery. Kenny M. Vega was located and arrested without incident outside his residence in West New York, New York, on July 28th, 2025. Attempts to locate and apprehend Jaden A. Vasquez has thus far been unsuccessful as he remains a fugitive.
The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office stated that the charges against Julio A. Perez, Justin L. Acosta, Kenny M. Vega, and Jaden A. Vasquez are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
