3 arrested in Morris-Sussex armed robbery spree

Three Somerset County residents were arrested Wednesday in connection with four armed robberies this week in Morris and Sussex counties, according to the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office.

Hardwick Stires, 20, of Basking Ridge, was charged with three counts of first-degree armed robbery, three counts of possession of an imitation firearm, two counts of third-degree theft, one count of third-degree making terroristic threats and one count of fourth-degree theft.

Stires was also charged in Morris County for the Monday robbery of Roserne Liquors in Kinnelon, Sussex County First Assistant Prosecutor Gregory Mueller said.

Robert Colomban Jr., 19, of Far Hills and Cassandra Post, 18, of Liberty Corner, also were charged with one count of second-degree conspiracy.

Stires also is alleged to have robbed three stores in Sussex County — the Delta gas station in Wantage on Monday night after the Kinnelon robbery, the Plains Pharmacy in Franklin on Tuesday night and Quick Chek on Route 206 in Hampton Wednesday.

Previous reports of the robberies identified one male suspect in each case with the exception of the Plains Pharmacy robbery, where male two suspects were reported.

Colomban Jr. and Post are both charged in connection with the Quick Chek robbery, Mueller said.

Mueller said the brazen nature of the robbery spree prompted a multi-agency investigation the New Jersey State Police, Franklin Police, Kinnelon Police, law enforcement officials in Morris and Somerset counties and the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office.

"We have all hands on deck," Mueller said Thursday before the arrests.

Stires was taken to the Sussex County Jail on $500,000 bail with no 10 percent option.

Mueller declined to comment on bail for Colomban Jr. and Post.

A bail hearing is expected today at 1:30 p.m.

Staff Writer William Westhoven: 973-428-6627; wwesthoven@dailyrecord.com.