Alleged Bloods Member Arrested

An alleged Bloods gang member wanted for an armed carjacking earlier this month in Newark was arrested Tuesday night, authorities said.

Gerald "Kadafi" Gilyard, 35, of Newark, was arrested following a motor vehicle stop at Lehigh Avenue and Clinton Place around 9:45 p.m. when a license plate reader alerted Essex County Sheriff's Officer Giuseppe Forgione to a 1993 Saturn station wagon that had been reported stolen earlier this month. Gilyard, who has a tattoo on his right arm reading "Brick City Brims," was wanted on an open criminal warrant.

Gilyard is accused of pulling a female driver out of her Saturn April 10 as she was stopped at a stop sign on Renner Avenue, hitting her over the head with a blunt object and driving away in her car.

Following that incident, Gilyard, a resident of Hobson Street, was charged with carjacking, aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes.

He was additionally charged Tuesday night with receiving stolen property and hindering prosecution for initially providing Forgione with a fictitious name. Gilyard received a motor vehicle summonses for failure to provide a driver's license, careless driving, failure to signal a turn and driving with a suspended driver's license.

He is held at the Essex County Correctional Facility where he awaits arraignment. Bail was set by Judge Peter Vasquez at $250,000.

- Staff reports