Robbery Charges Upheld for Alleged Shoplifter Who Threatened to Shoot

A Roselle Park man who threatened to shoot Home Depot employees in Watchung after allegedly stealing $357 worth of batteries from the store in 2012 will not have robbery charges against him dropped, despite his efforts, according to a recent report.

A Superior Court judge denied the request of Brian K. Belles, 44, to drop the first-degree charge based on his claim that prosecutors did not tell a grand jury about his possible self-defense motion and that the loss prevention employees who had restrained him at the store had done so unlawfully, The Star-Ledger reported.

Belles was arrested after he allegedly stole the batteries from the store in September 2012 and then made threatening remarks to the employees as they captured him when he was leaving the store.

While he had threatened to shoot the employees, he did not actually have a gun, Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey Soriano said.

Belles is claiming that he did not commit robbery because he did not attempt to flee the scene and that the employees initiated use of force, the Ledger reported.