Maplewood Police arrested 22-year-old Justin Knight and a 13-year-old male, both from Newark in connection with the carjacking of a 64-year-old woman on Oakview Avenue Sunday morning.
The 13-year-old was charged with receiving stolen goods; Newark Police charged him with a Friday carjacking in that city. Knight was charged on an outstanding warrant.
Maplewood Police have not charged either with the carjacking. “That is the only charge that fit[s] at the time,” said Sgt. Christopher Black from the Maplewood Police Dept., “but the incident is still being actively investigated.”
At around 10:15 a.m., a man in his 20’s got out of a white vehicle on Oakview Ave. and approached the woman as she was entering her car, said Black. The man allegedly grabbed the woman, threw her to the ground and fled in her 2015 BMW X5. Officers responded to the area but could not find either vehicle. The woman was transported to the hospital for evaluation. There is no further information on the woman’s condition or on whether she has been released from the hospital, Black said.
Several hours later Maplewood detectives found the stolen BMW in Newark, Black said. Detective Klebaur and Detective Rella saw two males holding an iPhone that matched the description of the one taken. The two were detained and the phone was confirmed as the one stolen in the carjacking, said Black.
The 13-year-old was arrested and charged with possession of the stolen phone. Newark Police charged him for the carjacking in Newark. Knight (who sometimes goes by “Justyn”), was arrested on an outstanding court violation warrant.
Black would not comment on whether this incident was related to two earlier Maplewood incidents on Thursday, October 13: the attempted carjacking on Warren Road, or to an possible attempted luring on Garfield Place.
“We are still investigating all three [incidents],” said Black.
Newark Police initially arrested the 13-year-old on Friday in connection to a carjacking in the Northward, according to a release from Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose. However, although he was being investigated for his involvement in carjackings in Orange, Maplewood and Newark and allegedly had three key fobs matching the makes of vehicles stolen or attempted to be stolen, the court ordered police to release the teen to the custody of a relative, Ambrose said.
Newark Police charged the teenager with Carjacking, Possession of a weapon and Possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes in connection with Friday’s Northward carjacking.
Here is more information from the Newark Dept. of Public Safety:
On Friday after his arrest, the courts ordered his release, although the teenager was being investigated for his involvement in carjackings in Orange, Maplewood and a Friday morning carjacking in Newark’s Northward. On Friday, at the time of his arrest, the teenager had three key fobs which matched the makes of three vehicle taken during carjackings or attempted carjacking hours before his capture.
On Friday, through a meticulous and intense investigation, detectives developed sufficient evidence to implicate the teen as a suspect in the Northward carjacking and determined one of the fobs belong to the vehicle. Newark Police were actively seeking the teen when he was arrested by Maplewood police today.
Director Ambrose commends the Newark and Maplewood Police Officers for their tireless efforts at making our cities safer, however it is disheartening to our officers and their victims that individuals are allowed to go free where they can continue to pose a threat to our society.
Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose is urging anyone with information about this investigation or any other crime to immediately call the Department’s 24-hour toll-free Crime Stopper tip line at 1-877-NWK-TIPS (1-877-695-8477) or 1-877-NWK-GUNS (1-877-695-4867). All Crime Stopper tips are kept confidential and could result in a reward.
