Toms River Convenience Store Holdup Artist Gets 12 Years

The Toms River 40-year-old who admitted three armed robberies at two 7-11 shops in the township can expect to spend nine to 12 years in prison.

Armando Penales was sentenced last week by Ocean County Superior Court Judge Wendel E. Daniels for his guilty plea to the incidents of January 2011, according to information from the office of Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato.

Daniels handed Penales a 12-year term, with the stipulation that he serve 85 percent of the time before parole consideration under New Jersey's No Early Release Act.

Penales admitted going on a tear between January 12 and 27, 2011 at the stores on Routes 166 and 37, wielding a butcher knife in the first instance and a shotgun in the rest.

Penales has been in custody since his arrest on the day of the last holdup by Toms River Police Detectives Mark Bajada and John Bajcic.