A father of three died after being dragged into a violent crash while trying to stop his car from being stolen, authorities said.
NEWARK, NJ – A Newark delivery driver was killed Friday afternoon after a teenager allegedly stole his running vehicle and crashed it moments later, fatally injuring the man as he tried to intervene. Jhon Aponte Alarcon, 46, was pronounced dead after being transported to a hospital following the incident, according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.
Prosecutors said the incident unfolded around 12:45 p.m. while Alarcon was making a delivery. He had briefly left his car running in the street as he brought a package to a residence when a teenage suspect allegedly entered the vehicle and began driving away.
Crash sequence and charges
Alarcon ran back to his car and held onto it as the suspect continued driving, officials said. The vehicle then struck a parked car, flipping over and crushing Alarcon. The suspect fled the scene on foot following the crash.
The teen was arrested Tuesday and charged with first-degree murder, carjacking, vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, endangering an injured victim, and theft of a motor vehicle. Due to his age, authorities have not released his identity.
Family describes sudden loss
Alarcon’s family said they were initially unaware of the circumstances surrounding his death and were first told only that he had been involved in a crash.
“It’s been really difficult. My dad was a hard-working man, he wasn’t doing anything bad. He was working, trying to provide for us, when this [tragedy] happens,” his son, Debyd Aponte, told WNBC.
In a GoFundMe campaign created to assist with funeral expenses, Aponte wrote, “This has completely shattered our world. One moment he was here, and the next he was gone. Nothing could have prepared us for this kind of pain.”
The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office is asking anyone with additional information to contact its tip line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC.
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