Newark Police Reportedly Close to Identifying Suspects in Rash of Violent Crimes

Detectives assigned to the Newark Police Department's Major Crimes Unit are in the process of closing several robbery, assault, and carjacking incidents that have occurred citywide over the past several weeks. The Newark Police Department, working in conjunction with law enforcement agencies including the New Jersey State Police, the Essex County Carjacking Task Force and the Hillside, East Orange, and Paterson police departments has already charged two of five suspects recently arrested in East Orange for crimes in other cities.

Newark police declined to name the suspects Sunday or the crimes with which they are charged because all of the incidents are still under investigation.

A carjacking incident in Hillside led investigators to East Orange where four adults and a juvenile were arrested and now face numerous charges for multiple offenses committed in several jurisdictions. Newark police detectives are reviewing evidence and securing victim/witness identifications of the suspects now in custody. The group is suspected of being involved in a dozen violent crime incidents in recent weeks and detectives are trying to determine whether any or all of these suspects played a role in those incidents.

The first Newark incident where a suspect has been positively identified occurred shortly before 1 am  Dec. 24 at the intersection of Bergen Street and Madison Avenue. A 31-year-old North Carolina woman's auto was intentionally rammed and disabled at a red light by another car, after which the suspects fired a shot before fleeing the scene.

The second incident occurred at approximately 7 pm  Dec. 25  at 78 Napoleon St., where a 63-year-old Newark man was robbed at gunpoint by three suspects who stole the victim’s wallet and cash.