Paulsboro Police Arrest Three After Armed Robbery and Vehicle Collision

A daytime gunshot and car damage in Gloucester County last month reportedly resulted from an armed robbery moments before, authorities disclosed during a court hearing Tuesday.

According to court filings, police rushed to the 100 block of Adams Street in Paulsboro at 1:45 p.m. on April 6 after receiving a report of someone shooting bullets at an SUV. According to authorities, the SUV then collided with another car, rendering it incapacitated.

The four occupants of the SUV, three of whom were armed, fled, and two were apprehended soon. A third man, the alleged driver of the SUV, was apprehended later and appeared in court on Tuesday for probable cause and detention proceedings.

Assistant Prosecutor Jacqueline Caban says many of the events of that day were captured on surveillance cameras.

According to Caban, video shows the SUV circling the area while four people stand on Adams Street conversing. The SUV eventually comes to a halt, and three men are out with firearms. According to the prosecution, three of those standing on the street dart away from the camera, while the fourth falls to the ground.

According to Caban, one of the attackers points a firearm at the victim on the ground and snatches his backpack.

The armed men then return to their SUV and drive along Adams Street. Caban went on to say that video footage shows someone stepping out of another vehicle and hearing many gunshots. The SUV then crashes into a parked truck, and the occupants flee. Caban reported that police discovered the stolen rucksack in the SUV.

There were no injuries reported in the incident.

Days after the incident, police apprehended the alleged SUV driver, Camden resident Durrell N. Miles, 26, who appeared in court by video from jail on Tuesday morning. He was seen clutching a pistol as he fled the crashed SUV, according to investigators.

Miles is charged with first-degree accomplice culpability for his alleged involvement as the driver in the armed robbery, as well as three second-degree gun counts, including possessing a firearm by someone forbidden by past convictions. His attorney, Chris Hoffner, challenged probable cause for the charges, claiming that the state’s case lacked evidence that Miles was the driver or played any role in the crime.

Superior Court Judge John Eastlack Jr. determined probable cause for the allegations to exist. Caban argued for Miles’ pre-trial custody, citing a lengthy criminal record stretching back to his boyhood, including drug distribution, robbery, obstruction, and previous prison sentences.

She also highlighted the facts preceding the April 6 event.

“Your honor, it’s wide daylight. It’s 1 p.m. on a Saturday in a residential part of Paulsboro,” Caban explained. “So I would argue that Mr. Miles is a threat to the community.”

Miles’ counsel stated that his client has kept a job and has a solid family life, which would ensure he has a place to reside while awaiting trial. The judge finally determined that Miles should remain in jail until trial, citing the gravity of the crime and the defendant’s prior record.

Miles is set to return to court on June 27 for a pre-indictment hearing.

The two males detained at the shooting scene are also in custody.

Jazmere L. Hopps, 21, of Camden, was allegedly armed when police arrested him. He was first charged with second-degree unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and fourth-degree resisting arrest. Anthony L. Mason, also 21, of Camden, was not armed when he fled the SUV, according to police, but he allegedly possessed a weapon discovered in the vehicle.

He was charged with second-degree counts of unauthorized possession of a pistol, possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, and prohibited persons from possessing guns due to a past conviction. As more information about the alleged event emerged, Mason and Hopps were charged with first-degree armed robbery.

Caban stated during Tuesday’s hearing that investigators are still looking for the fourth occupant of the SUV as well as the person who fired rounds at it.