Philadelphia Man Charged Following Attempted Armed Robbery

A Philadelphia man faces several charges in Howell Township following an attempt to rob a gas station on Route 33.  incident on December 14 that allegedly involved the use of a gun.

Maurice A. Horne, 23, was charged with one count of first degree robbery for allegedly threatening the victim with a handgun during the theft which occurred on December 14. He is also charged with one count of second degree possession of a firearm with the purpose to use it unlawfully. According to court documents Horne is alleged to have threatened a gas station attendant at the Square 19 Petroleum Station at the intersection of Route 33 and Colts Neck Road.

Horne also faces one count of second degree possession of a handgun without a permit for concealing the weapon in his car and using it to commit an armed robbery. The final charge against Horne is for fourth degree extreme indifference to the value of a human life for pointing a firearm at the victim.

Court documents indicate that probable cause came from a victim’s statement, a statement by the defendant, an investigation by the Howell Township Police Department and a video of the incident which was caught on the station’s closed circuit television system.

Horne’s bail was set at $150,000 with no 10 percent option.