Hilliard
Watson
MONTICELLO – Two Brooklyn men are in the Sullivan County Jail facing charges of armed robbery following the stickup at the AT&T store on Jefferson Street in Monticello early on Friday afternoon.
Arrested after a car chase into Bloomingburg were Tyquan Sharrod Hilliard, 27, and Khalif Watson, 23, both of Brooklyn. Both when were charged with robbery, burglary and coercion, all felonies.
The robbers, armed with what appeared to be a black semi-automatic handgun, tied up the store employee and two shoppers in a back room with duct tape before fleeing with several dozen iPhones and other cell phones from the store safe.
The employee freed herself and activated the panic alarm, alerting Monticello Village Police.
The perpetrators fled by car on Route 17 east. Using phone GPS, they were tracked by Monticello and State Police along with Sullivan County Sheriff’s deputies near exit 113. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle and during that effort, a police vehicle was struck by a dump truck injuring Monticello Det. Michael Davis as he got out of his vehicle. He was treated and released at Orange Regional Medical Center in the Town of Wallkill.
The suspect vehicle took off reaching 125 miles an hour but struck a guard rail as it attempted to get off the highway at exit 116 in the Town of Wallkill.
The suspects and a third person attempted to flee on foot, but where taken into custody with the proceeds from the robbery recovered along with a black pellet pistol.
Hilliard and Watson were also wanted separately for violations of parole in connection with previous convictions of criminal possession of a weapon. The third person was not charged and released.
Monticello Police were assisted by State Police, Sullivan County Sheriff’s deputies, Crawford and Wallkill town police, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office.
