N.J. man pleads guilty to trying to rob a woman in her car, officials say

An Atlantic County man pleaded guilty Friday to attempting to rob a woman in her car in April 2023, officials from the county prosecutor’s office announced.
Eugene Shirk, 33, of Atlantic City, pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted robbery in exchange for a six-year prison sentence, authorities said.
Shirk was accused of entering a woman’s car while stopped at a traffic light in Atlantic City and demanding all her money, authorities said.
Atlantic City police responded to the intersection of South Carolina and Adriatic Avenues around 2 p.m. on April 13, 2023, and were flagged down by a victim who pointed out Shirk who was still at the scene, authorities said.
After Shirk allegedly entered her car at the intersection and demanded she handover all her money, she told police that she was able to turn off the car and escape, officials said.
Shirk was apprehended at the scene and remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing on Jan. 23, 2025, officials said.
Shirk’s attorney said the whole incident was an unfortunate situation and added that Shirk was under the influence of a narcotic at the time of the attempted robbery.
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Matthew Enuco may be reached at [email protected]. Follow Matt on X