Taxi driver robbed by man armed with handgun

NORTH BRUNSWICK - A man allegedly held up a North Brunswick taxi cab driver on June 25 for just $3.

The victim reported seeing a handgun as he was robbed on Livingston Avenue and Haverford Street, according to police reports. He described the suspect as a thin, black male with black hair and facial hair, wearing a tan shirt and blue jeans.

A responding North Brunswick Township police officer found a man matching the suspect's description playing basketball on a nearby street. Although the man, who identified himself as Darnell Tatum, claimed he was sweating from playing basketball, a witness claimed that Tatum had just arrived on the scene.

During the investigation, police found three $100 bills and three $1 bills and charged the 18-year-old New Brunswick resident with armed robbery, possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. A gun and an article of clothing were also recovered at the scene, according to police.

New Brunswick police said Tatum's description matched that of a suspect who robbed a truck driver in their city, of $300, according to police reports.

Tatum was transported to the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center on $250,000 bail.

- Jennifer Amato