Teen charged after cops say he fired gun, stole sneakers at social media meet-up in Howell

FREEHOLD – A Millstone teen has been charged after authorities say he wielded a gun at a meet-up to buy sneakers, and then fired one shot before stealing the merchandise, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago said Thursday.

Giancarlo Nevarez, 19, of the Clarksburg section of Millstone, was charged with first-degree armed robbery, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, according to Santiago.

At 3:06 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 13, Howell Township Police received a 911 call reporting shots fired in the area of the 4200 block of Route 9 southbound in Howell Township, the prosecutor said.

During the investigation, a male victim reported that he had contacted Nevarez through a social media platform to sell him a couple of pairs of high-end sneakers, Santiago said. When they met, Nevarez was shown the sneakers and then he presented a firearm, fired one shot and left with the merchandise. No one was struck and there were no injuries as a result of the gunshot.

To prevent similar circumstances, Santiago reminded residents that the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office and other local agencies have set up safe exchange zones to "protect the safety of...residents and minimize the risk of someone becoming a victim of robbery through in-person transactions.”

The prosecutor is asking for anyone with information about this matter to contact Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Thomas Manzo at 800-533-7443 or Howell Police Department Detective Ryan Jackson at 732-938-4111.

Jenna Calderón covers breaking news and cold cases in Monmouth and Ocean counties. Before coming to the Press, she covered The Queen City for Cincinnati Magazine in Ohio. Contact her at 330-590-3903; jcalderon@gannettnj.com

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Teen arrested after stealing sneakers at gunpoint in Howell, cops say