From the Maplewood Police:
On Saturday, April 22, 2023 at approximately 5:03 am, the Maplewood [NJ] Police Department received a 911 call of a motor vehicle that crashed into the steps of 128 Boyden Avenue. While Units were responding to the scene, they were flagged down by a 37-year-old female who reported she was just a victim of an attempted strong-arm car-jacking. The female reported she was sitting in her BMW with her 27-year-old male friend in the parking lot of 200 Boyden Avenue (Avalon) when she was approached by a black male. The victim described him to be in his 20’s wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt, with a black partial face mask. He approached her vehicle reporting she had something hanging from her trunk. When the victim exited her vehicle, she was pushed to the ground while the male jumped into the driver’s seat of the vehicle. At which point
two additional actors wearing all grey also with black partial face masks and in their 20’s approached the passenger’s side of the vehicle. They proceed to open the door and removed the male passenger from the vehicle, threw him to the ground and assaulted him.
The actor in the driver’s seat attempted to flee with the vehicle, however was unsuccessful due to a safety feature in the vehicle (the key fob was with the victim not in the car). The actors then returned to their vehicle and fled the scene northbound on Boyden Avenue in a white Kia that was later determined to be a stolen vehicle out of Bloomfield NJ. The stolen vehicle was the crash that initiated the original 911 call. The victim’s sustained superficial injuries and refused medical attention. The actors were last seen fleeing the scene on foot eastbound on Elmwood Avenue toward Irvington.
Anyone with information or video of the suspects should contact Detective Zuhowski at 973-761-7929 or email JZUHOWSKI@MAPLEWOODNJ.GOV.
