When Essex County freeholder Rufus Johnson pulled into his driveway of his home in the Upper Vailsburg section of Newark after spending the day attending an all-day county budget hearing, the last thing he expected was to be carjacked.

But that’s exactly what happened to Johnson, according to a Sunday report on NJ.com.

Johnson had been silent about the Jan. 26 incident, but is now speaking out and working with government leaders like himself whom he feels must shoulder more responsibility in combating violence by keeping youth from becoming involved in a life of crime.

"It's a whole lot of things that contributed to what happened to me. It's not just those kids," he said.