Twp. man convicted of armed robbery ABERDEEN - A township man was convicted of first-degree armed robbery of a taxi driver last week. On March 13, a Monmouth County jury convicted Fernando Vasquez Volano, 26, of Aberdeen Township, of the crimes of first-degree armed robbery, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, according to a press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office. The charges stem from the armed robbery of a taxi driver committed in Aberdeen in 2007. Evidence presented during the weeklong trial conducted before Superior Court Judge Ira E. Kreizman revealed that on May 26, 2007, at approximately 11 p.m., officers from the Aberdeen Township Police Department responded to a 911 call regarding a taxi driver possibly being stabbed. Upon arrival, the responding police officers found Volano being detained by the taxi driver, who advised the officers that he had picked up Volano at a bar in Keyport and had then taken him to the Ken Gardens apartment complex in Aberdeen, according to the press release. When the ride was completed, the driver requested payment and Volano reached for his pocket. The driver believed that Volano was reaching for money to pay for the ride. Without speaking a word, Volano then attacked the driver from behind and attempted to stab him with a pocketknife. The driver was able to block the knife, but not before he sustained a laceration to his face, the release states. The driver quickly exited the taxi and Volano chased after him, swinging the knife. An intense struggle for the knife ensued. The driver was able to subdue Volano, while calling for help. Someone in the area heard the driver's cries for help and called police. The knife was found approximately 20 feet away from the cab, according to the Prosecutor's Office. Volano is scheduled to be sentenced by Kreizman on April 11. The armed robbery count carries a maximum potential custodial sentence of up to 20 years in state prison. Any sentence imposed for that crime would be subject to the No Early Release Act, which requires that a defendant serve 85 percent of the sentence imposed before he can be released on parole. Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis A. Valentin stated, "The combined efforts of the good Samaritan and the Aberdeen Township Police Department resulted in this violent crime being solved within moments of its commission. This verdict assures that Volano will be held accountable for his actions. The victim of this violent crime is to be commended for his courage and perseverance."