LYNN — Police arrested a 21-year-old New Jersey man after they say officers watched him try to commit an armed robbery on Broad Street on Friday.
Leshnaira Vega, of Pleasantville, New Jersey, was charged with armed assault to rob and violation of the city knife ordinance
A Lynn Police detective first saw a man, later identified as Vega, on Union Street at around midnight — he had on a gray hooded sweatshirt with a hoodie pulled extremely tight so that only a small portion of his face could be seen. The detective thought this was suspicious because it wasn’t that cold outside and decided to watch him, Lynn Police Lt. Michael Kmiec said.
Vega walked down to Broad Street and the detective watched as he came up close behind another man, with Vega walking faster and then getting in front of the victim, a 51-year-old Lynn man, Kmiec said.
When Vega was facing the victim, the detective thought the Lynn man looked afraid and was starting to back away from the suspect. From that interaction, the detective thought a robbery was occurring, Kmiec said.
The detective attempted to stop Vega, who pulled his hands from his waistline and took out a black gun. Vega was ordered to drop the gun and he threw it to the ground. The victim was able to walk away, Kmiec said.
Police were later able to find the victim because he was seen walking back to his residence on Silsbee Street. The victim told police that Vega had pulled a gun on him when they were face to face, which the detective couldn’t see during the interaction, Kmiec said.
Police found a knife on Vega and the firearm turned out to be a BB gun, Kmiec said.
