With dozens of carjacking incidents reported in Newark, East Orange, Irvington and Orange over the past few months, we’ve worriedly anticipated that the crime wave might spread to the suburbs.
On December 17, a town vehicle was stolen from the West Orange Department of Public Works, which subsequently resulted in a felony charge for Jamal Abdul Silvera when the stolen vehicle struck and killed bystander James Callaway, 63 of Maplewood.
This morning, at 6:57 a.m., a Breaking News Network report indicated that a white BMW had been taken at gunpoint at the Essex County Hospital Center at 204 Grove Avenue in Cedar Grove (shown, right). The status was changed within minutes to an attempted carjacking, as the suspects fled without obtaining the vehicle. According to BNN, the victim stated that the perpetrator “threw the gun into the snow,” and it had not been recovered at the time of the 7:05 a.m. update. No injuries were reported and it is believed that the would-be carjackers fled in a black vehicle, last seen on Grove Avenue.
At 7:19, the weapon still had not been recovered, and a K-9 unit was brought in for assistance.
We have received confirmation of the attempted carjacking from Cedar Grove Police Captain Richard Vanderstreet. Below is a statement from Sheriff Armando Fontoura:
At 6:55 a.m. today, a male employee at the new county hospital center on Grove Avenue alleged that he was approached in the center’s parking lot by two males in a car who attempted to rob him.
The victim resisted the alleged suspects who immediately fled the scene.
The investigation is on-going and further details will be release when they become available.
Do these latest incidents make you more fearful about going about your business in the neighborhood, or do you take it in stride as just another day in Essex County?
Certainly they make me more cautious, yes. This is a little too close to home. My husband and I often jog in that area, including the West Essex Trail, which runs from Verona High School to Little Falls.
I’m not going to sit in my house with the shades drawn but I will be more aware of my surroundings.
Hopefully it is just an isolated incident. Fortunately, the victim wasn’t hurt.
As long as we have $250,000 in new library carpet, I’m good.
I read in an article that stated when a person is is car-jacked (that being in or approaching their car,) when they are threatened with bodily harm that better than 50% of the time, the vechile is a BMW.
It continued to state that when the automobile is parked and no people are present (as in 3 AM) the VW is the #1 prize.
We always use a “Brake Club” on the daily drivers. My “Show-Cars” are never left unattended for even a moment.