Acting on a tip from a reader. Village Green reached out to Maplewood Police Chief Jim DeVaul regarding an alleged carjacking incident near Starbucks in Maplewood Village. In response, DeVaul sent the following release:
On 05/22/21 at approximately 11 p.m., the Maplewood Police responded to Ricalton Square (Parking Lot #2) near the intersection of Maplewood Avenue & Dunnell Road on a report of a vehicle stolen by an armed suspect.
The victim reported that he was sitting inside of the vehicle, when approached by two on the driver’s side and passenger’s side of the vehicle. The suspect on the driver’s side brandished a black and grey semi-automatic handgun and demanded that he and the passenger exit the vehicle. They complied and exited without injury. Both suspects entered the vehicle and drove southbound on Maplewood Avenue towards Baker Street.
Suspect (1) is described as a male 18-22 years of age, 5’8″ height, wearing a black t-shirt and black jeans thin build, wearing a black face mask. Suspect (2) is described as a male 18-22 years of age, 5’8″ in height, wearing a black t-shirt and beige pants and a white or light–colored face mask. Both suspects are believed to have been walking around in the area prior to the incident. The stolen vehicle was recovered on 05/23/21 in Bloomfield, NJ. The suspects have not yet been identified. The case is still under investigation.
If anyone has information regarding this incident, please contact the Maplewood Police Department Detective Bureau 973 761-7926.
