Police Investigate Rash of Food Delivery Driver Robberies in South Jersey

South Jersey (WTXF) Police say teens are accused of luring food delivery drivers with fake orders to rob them. According to police, they were armed with knives, guns and a large stick.

"When I got to the place it was pitch black, no lights and I suspected that nobody lived in that house," said a driver ambushed by an armed robber. He's shaken up and concerned for his safety. He says a man pointed a gun at him during a setup disguised as a food order. We're not identifying him because he's back on the job.

"As I turned to get my food I heard bop! He hit my door and said (expletive) get out and he put the gun right in my face. I got nervous," he said. The driver says someone placed a call for pizza to a bogus address in Manor Hall Place in Sicklerville. The victim says the suspect approached his car and tried to force open the door.

"When he did that I turned around and he stuck the gun right in my face. Out of fear I hit my gas and my car so he jumped. I was trying to hit him with my car," he said. The suspect took off with nothing just as police got there. The victim believes a neighbor saw what was happening and called 9-1-1.

Winslow Township Police say this is one of about a dozen armed robberies of Pizza and Chinese food delivery drivers in Sicklerville in the past month. Many were calls to the Eden Hollow and Manor Hill neighborhoods.

"Usually one or two people will approach and break conversation. Then another 2 or 3 people come around. A was gun used on several of them, a knife on a couple of them and one time there was a stick they used even," said Lieutenant Chris Dubler of Winslow Township Police.

Michael Rhubart delivers for Nick's Pizza in Williamstown and says he's extremely cautious.

"We're just trying to get the job done and if anything feels a little shaky I'll call 9-1-1 as soon as possible," said Rhubart.

Meanwhile, the victim from Sunday night says what happened was a wake up call.

"I've heard that it happened to a couple of people here but I didn't think it could happen to me," he said.

Police so far they've arrested and charged five teens 13 to 16 years old and they've recovered a black replica handgun used in several of the robberies. They also say similar robberies happened before this rash but it's unclear whether they're related to the most recent ones.