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The 2016 armed robber and kidnapper captured at the Neptune Wawa has been sentenced to 18 years, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced in a written statement. 

Hakiem K. Wadud, 26, of Asbury Park was handed the No Early Release [NERA] sentence by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Ellen Torregrossa-O’Connor.

Wadud, who pleaded guilty May 25 to the first degree crimes, must serve 85 percent of the sentence under terms outlined in a plea agreement, officials said.

At 11 p.m. Nov 13, 2016, Neptune Township police responded to the report of a man with a gun at the Wawa convenience store, located at Routes 35 and 33, officials have said. A joint investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Neptune Township Police Department, and Asbury Park Police Department revealed the robbery culminated at the Wawa but began in Asbury Park. 

Officials found that Wadud, who was brandishing a gun, entered a car belonging to unidentified victims and demanded money from its two occupants. After taking the money, he directed the driver to take him to the Wawa in order to access their bank accounts.  

Once at Wawa, the suspect accompanied one of the victims into the store and fled the scene shortly thereafter.

Police were called back to the convenience store around 4 a.m. the next day when an employee recognized Wadud and enlisted the help of an off-duty Bradley Beach officer, who detained him until jurisdictional police arrived.

The case was assigned to Assistant Prosecutor Martha Nye and Wadud is represented by Robert Konzelmann of Howell Township.

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