Newark Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda, Sr., reports the arrest of Julio Garcia Barrera, 44, of Newark, yesterday, on charges of robbery and impersonating a public servant.
At approximately 3:34 a.m., on Thursday, January 22, 2026, a man entered the 7th Precinct and reported that he had been robbed in the 600 block of North 8th Street in Newark. The victim was walking along the street when a man driving a dark-colored SUV stopped, exited the vehicle, used a flashlight to illuminate the victim, and announced that he was an immigration officer, while pointing to an emblem on his sweatshirt.
The suspect then placed the victim against a vehicle, searched him, and removed approximately $500.00 out of the victim’s wallet. The suspect then re-entered his vehicle and drove away, heading northbound on North 8th Street toward Davenport Avenue.
In a separate incident, on Saturday, January 24, 2026, at approximately 3:40 a.m., Police responded to the 200 block of Berkeley Avenue on a call of a theft. A man reported that he was walking on North 8th Street towards his vehicle parked on Bloomfield Avenue, when two males exited a beige older-model Jeep. The passenger stood near the vehicle while the driver approached the victim, held a flashlight to the victim’s face, and asked if he was a U.S. citizen.
The suspect then opened his jacket and showed the victim an emblem with yellow letters reading “ICE” on it. The suspect then led the victim to a brick wall, searched him, and took his wallet, containing approximately $300.00, his driver’s license, and a debit card. The victim fled the scene and reported that his debit card had been used at multiple gas stations in East Orange.
On January 27, 2026, detectives investigating this incident observed Garcia Barrera sitting inside a parked vehicle in the 200 block of 1st Avenue. He was safely arrested.
These charges are merely accusations. This suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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