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City police soon after arrested local resident Valmir Xhemajli, 29, who they said made off with $60 to $80 in cash from the Blaze'd Chicken on Passaic Street after convincing the young cashier that he had a knife.
The cashier and cook waved in police who'd responded to a panic alarm just after 4 p.m. Thursday, Capt. Peter Busciglio said. They found the cashier crying, he said.
Moments earlier, the captain said, Xhemajli entered the restaurant and demanded money from the register.
"The cashier believed he may have had a knife, [although] none was used or shown during the robbery," Busciglio said.
The cashier then hit the panic alarm as the robber fled on foot on Passaic Street, he said.
Police reviewed video surveillance from the restaurant showing Xhemajli entering the store and the cashier handing over the money, Buscilgio said.
Soon after, Officer Felix Katsaroans found Xhemajli near his home on Prospect Avenue.
Xhemajili -- who'd been wanted on two outstanding warrants -- suffered a seizure at police headquarters and was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center for treatment, Buciglio said.
He was charged with robbery.
Responders included Hackensack detectives and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department Bureau of Criminal Identification, which collected evidence, Buscilgio said.
"I’d like to congratulate all the involved officers and detectives for a great job in apprehending the suspect," the captain said.
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ALSO SEE: Grand Opening, Grand Closing: Hackensack Chicken Store Runs Out Of Chicken
AND: Coming Soon: Blaze'd Chicken To Replace Shuttered Hackensack Eatery
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