Police, who were already on the lookout for two armed robbers, quickly searched the area and apprehended the two men, Anthony Rosa, 31, of Belleville and Gerardo Santana, 19, of Passaic. Both were charged with armed robbery and are being held on bail.

The first of the two armed robberies was reported on Oct. 9 by a 22-year-old Lodi man who was visiting his girlfriend on VanCleve Avenue. The victim, according to police reports, was walking toward the apartment when he was approached by two men, both holding guns pointed at him. The victim told police the two suspects searched his pockets, but did not find any valuables and fled. The victim telephoned police and followed the suspects as they ran off east on VanCleve Avenue and then north on Sears Place. The victim lost sight of the suspects on Clifton Avenue near Scribner Place. Clifton police responded to the area along with a Sheriff’s Department K-9 unit but were unable to find the suspects.

The following day at about 2:50 p.m., officers Steven Farrell and Robert Suhey were on patrol on Highland and Hope avenues when they spotted a man walking around with a bleeding head wound. The victim did not speak English so Officer Juan Velez was called to the scene to interpret, learning the man had been pistol-whipped and robbed at gunpoint by two men who matched the descriptions of the suspects from the previous day’s robbery. The officers searched the area and found the victim’s wallet, sans the money, nearby.

Police units responded to the area, said detective Capt. Robert Rowan and officers found the two men hiding in a rear yard on Van Winkle Avenue. When the suspects saw the officers, Rowan said they jumped the fence and split up as they fled. Lt. Mark Centurione found Rosa hiding in an alley on Highland Avenue standing next to a ski mask and a hooded sweatshirt. He was charged with robbery and possession of a firearm and held on $175,000 bail.

Shortly after, officers Scott Gibson and Robert Miller located Santana hiding under a van on Davidson Street. He was arrested at gunpoint and was charged with robbery and possession of a firearm.

Officers searched the area and located one of the firearms, a "loaded cheap Saturday night special," in a rear yard on Lake Avenue, Rowan said. A second gun was not recovered and police are asking anyone in the area to quickly call police if they spot a gun, and to not touch it. Rowan said the gun, "if there is another" may be loaded and dangerous.

"The first victim said each of the suspects had a firearm," Rowan said. "We only recovered one gun. There could be another one somewhere in the Botany area," Rowan said, adding officers have searched the area and have not found a second weapon.

"We take street robberies very seriously, therefore we were happy to be able to make these quick arrests and get these perpetrators off the streets," Rowan said.