A man who robbed former Newark Mayor Sharpe James yesterday afternoon surrendered to police early Friday morning, Sgt. Ron Glover said.
Alhafeez Williams, 20, of Newark, called police several hours after he allegedly accosted James, 78 around 4 pm on Bergen Street. Williams, who has an extensive criminal history, was detained in Hoboken by Port Authority Police around 2 am and taken back to Newark.
Williams is accused of placing James in a chokehold and snatching a gold chain from around his neck before running from the scene on foot. James was unhurt. Officers had conducted an extensive investigation to find the suspect before Williams contacted police.
"Today's arrest was the culmination of great police work, community involvement, and technological advances. I am pleased that through the relentless efforts of our detectives assigned to the robbery squad and the assistance of the community we were able to make a swift identification and apprehension in this case,” Police Director Samuel DeMaio said.
James served as mayor of the city for 20 years until 2006 and also spent a decade in the state senate. In 2008, he was sentenced to nearly two years in jail on charges he engineered sweetheart land deals for a girlfriend.
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