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Delivery drivers are watching their backs after recent violent carjacking
A warning for local delivery drivers after one was held up and violently carjacked by a thief police say was posing as a customer. Police say they caught that suspect, but are still warning drivers not to let their guards down.
GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, N.J. - A warning for local delivery drivers after one was held up and violently carjacked by a thief police say was posing as a customer.
Police in Camden County say they caught that suspect, but are still warning drivers not to let their guards down.
"Sad. Makes you feel sad because somebody try to make money and then they got robbed and things like that. It is no good. No good," said Vencenzo Esposito. He owns Villa Russo Pizzeria.
"The best way to do that maybe send two drivers. One wait in the car. One do delivery," he said after hearing about the recent robbery of a pizza delivery person at another business in town.
"Just be careful. Before you go check the address," he said. "No more cash. Before 10 years ago, yes. Now no cash," he added.
His driver, Nick Mellace, says it is hard to predict and prevent the risks that come along with the job.
"You just make the delivery as quick as you can, I guess," said Mellace.
Pizza delivery driver assaulted, carjacked by juvenile customer at NJ apartment: police
A juvenile is in custody after a pizza delivery to a South Jersey apartment complex took a violent turn over the weekend.
It was not that simple for a delivery person of another pizza shop who Gloucester Township Police say a juvenile robbed, punched in the head and carjacked Sunday, October 20th, around 7:45 at night.
Investigators say the suspect ordered food from the 900 block of Millbridge Apartments and eventually crashed the car. Police caught him on foot in an area of Emerson Court, nearby.
At Antonino's Pizza, on Little Gloucester Road in Blackwood, they have experienced something similar. But the owner, Kevin Flaxman, says in the 27 years he has been at the location, it has only happened to his drivers twice in one month and that was recently. It is affecting business though. He has a help wanted sign out front.
"It's definitely getting tough. I could use drivers. It is a big part of our business," said Flaxman. He says they double-check callers as much as they can.
"Whenever we get an order from a customer that doesn’t already exist in our system and if they're paying cash we call back," he said. Flaxman is encouraged that an arrest was made.
"To the kids out here doing this, I pray for you. Most of the time, they are just stealing food. God forbid someone gets hurt or the kid gets hurt," he said.
Flaxman says police have been helping out. They will go ahead of a delivery driver to check out a house if the business has concerns.
Some pizzerias say deliveries are about 70 percent of their business and the risk can be just as high.
Police tell FOX 29 they believe there is a group carrying out the robberies and that they may also be involved in other things.