Suspect in suburban NJ carjacking is just 13 years old

CRANFORD — After a nearly six-month investigation, a 13-year-old teen has been arrested and charged for a carjacking in this Union County township.

On Sept. 23, 2023, police were dispatched to a business on East North Avenue just before 9:30 p.m., following a report of a car theft.

According to the victim, the juvenile got in the passenger side of the vehicle and tried to drive off while the victim was putting air in the tires at a Cranford gas station. While the victim had a brief physical altercation with the young suspect, a second person showed up and also threatened the victim.

The 13-year-old then fled the scene in the victim’s car, while the second suspect left in a stolen Porsche.

Police were eventually able to identify the teen, whose name was not disclosed due to age. The juvenile from Newark was charged with first-degree carjacking and remanded to a juvenile detention center in Essex County, awaiting a court appearance.

Cranford Police Chief Ryan Greco has warned that residents should remain vigilant and aware of their surroundings as motor vehicle crimes have become increasingly violent, despite the offenders’ age.

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