Two Charged with Armed Robbery of Middletown Home Friday

Two men allegedly entered a Bonafacio Court home armed with a handgun Friday night, threatened the occupants and struck one of the victims in the head with the gun, according to a press release issued by Middletown Detective Sgt. Steve Dollinger.

Middletown Police received a 911 call shortly before 6:30 p.m. on June 14 reporting the robbery. The men allegedly stole an undisclosed amount of money and prescription medication and fled the home on foot. 

The victims knew the alleged robbers and were able to provide police with names and descriptions, according to Dollinger.

About twenty minutes later, Patrolman Thomas Hughes saw two men fitting the description across town on Bray Avenue in Port Monmouth. Hughes, with the assistance of Patrolmen Raymond Sofield and Adam Colfer, was able to arrest one of the men, according to Dollinger. He was later identified as Carlos Ortiz III, 22, from Montana Avenue in Port Monmouth.

The second man fled on foot. Police closed off the area and conducted a search, according to Dollinger. After about 40 minutes, a Clifton Avenue resident reported a suspicious person in their back yard. Officers responded to the area and took the man, identified as Sean Levy, 20, of Brookside Drive in Belford, into custody near the home.

Ortiz was charged with burglary, robbery, theft, conspiracy, unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose, two counts of aggravated assault, unlawful possession of Xanax, unlawful possession of Alprazolam and unlawful possession of Clonazapam.

Leavy was charged with burglary, robbery, theft, conspiracy, unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose, two counts of aggravated assault and obstructing the administration of law.

A third man was also arrested, according to Dollinger, for allegedly assaulting officers as they tried to take Ortiz and Leavy into custody. Daniel Milford, 22, from Bray Avenue was charged with two counts of aggravated assault on a police officer, obstructing the administration of law, resisting arrest, possession of under 50 grams of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. 

Police say Milford was not involved in the robbery.

Leavy and Ortiz were being held on $500,000.00 bail each. Milford was being held on $150,000.00 bail. All bails were set by Judge Joseph Oxley of the Monmouth County Superior Court.

Police recovered the handgun used in the robbery at the scene of the arrest.