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The 52-year-old owner told police he was carrying the money Tuesday night when he left the store with the man, whom he knew only as Ali of Newark, Police Chief Michael Foligno told Daily Voice.
Ali -- who had visited the store over the past several weeks to talk about a purchase -- then asked him for a ride to the train station, the owner said.
Along the way, Foligno said, Ali told the victim he was tired and wanted to get a room at the Towne House Motel on Route 46 instead of driving to Newark.
Once he entered the room, the owner said, Ali came up from behind, pressed a knife about four to six inches long into his back and demanded the cash.
Motel surveillance video shows Ali getting into a waiting car driven by someone else that they heads east on Route 46, Foligno said.
The victim wasn't injured, he said.
Anyone with information that can help the investigation is asked to contact the Elmwood Park Police Department at (201) 796-0700, ext 110.
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