KEARNY, New Jersey — On March 28, 2025, a shoplifting incident at the Passaic Avenue Shopping Plaza in Kearny escalated into a robbery, leading to the arrest of Ashod R. Holt, 28, of East Orange. Kearny Police responded to a report of a shoplifter at a large grocery store around 7:45 p.m. Holt, caught stealing merchandise, fled in a vehicle but was stopped near Clay Street Bridge. He resisted arrest, causing minor injuries to an officer, and was detained after treatment at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.

Later that evening, with assistance from the Newark Police Department, Holt was located in Newark’s Clinton Hill neighborhood and arrested for the Kearny robbery. He faces charges including robbery, three counts of aggravated assault, weapons offenses, assault by auto, endangering another person, causing injury while driving with a suspended license, operating a vehicle during a license suspension, and two counts of shoplifting with reckless driving and traffic summonses. Holt was transported to the Hudson County Correctional Center, with a search warrant later executed on his vehicle, revealing evidence linked to the robbery.

The Kearny Police Department commended the swift response of officers and the collaboration with Newark police in apprehending Holt. Chief Scott Macfie emphasized the importance of community safety and holding suspects accountable. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Published by State Gleam
Keywords: Kearny Police, Shoplifting, Robbery, Ashod Holt, Passaic Avenue, March 28, Arrest