NJ teen robbed while playing Pokemon Go, police say

ENGLEWOOD - Police arrested a 19-year-old man who allegedly robbed a teen as he was walking down an Englewood street playing Pokemon Go Wednesday.

According to Englewood police, Carlos Joya of Fort Lee approached the 16-year-old Leonia boy and demanded that he empty his pockets, Detective Capt. Timothy Torell said in a statement Thursday. Joya, who was a suspect in an earlier bicycle theft, was spotted by police as he tried to grab the teen.

According to Torell, Officer Nathaniel Kinlaw responded to South Dean Street after police received a report regarding a bicycle theft in progress. When he arrived, a witness said he was "threatened with force" while attempting to prevent the theft. The witness provided a description of the suspect, who was located minutes later by police, at a location two blocks away, authorities said.

Police say when the officer found the suspect - later identified as Joya - he was "committing a strong-arm robbery" on the teen, who Torell said was "walking the streets of Englewood while playing Pokémon Go."

Kinlaw grabbed Joya as he was allegedly assaulting the juvenile, demanding that he empty the contents of his pockets.

"Joya immediately began resisting arrest, while reaching for his own pockets and yelling at the officer to shoot him," Torell said, adding that additional officers then responded to help take Joya into custody.

Police say Joya and the victim did not know each other.

Joya was charged second-degree robbery and third-degree resisting arrest and is being held in Bergen County Jail on $50,000 bail, with no 10 percent option.

Toniann Antonelli is a social content producer for NJ 101.5. She can be reached at toniann.antonelli@townsquaremedia.com, or on Twitter @ToniRadio1015.