Cranford, NJ – The Cranford Police Department has charged a juvenile from Essex County with carjacking, concluding a six-month investigation into a violent motor vehicle theft that occurred in September 2023. The incident, reported on September 23, 2023, involved a confrontation on the 300 block of East North Avenue, where the victim was assaulted while attempting to fend off the theft of their vehicle.
The attack unfolded as the victim was inflating their car tires; an assailant entered the passenger side and attempted to hijack the car. During the struggle, a second perpetrator threatened the victim with violence, allowing the first assailant to escape with the vehicle. The second individual fled in a different stolen car, a Porsche.
Detective Robert Jordan, leading the investigation, identified one of the culprits as a 13-year-old from Newark, New Jersey. The juvenile has been charged with first-degree carjacking and is currently detained at a juvenile facility in Essex County, pending court proceedings.
Chief Greco emphasized the importance of public vigilance, noting the increasing violence in motor vehicle crimes in the region recently.