On July 4 at 4:01 a.m., Officer Paul Duran and several backup officers responded to a report of a carjacking-in-progress at the Quick Chek store at 238 Kearny Ave. It was reported a 25-year-old Kearny man was sucker punched, knocked to the ground, and beaten while he was down, by a group of males.
One of the males allegedly took the victim’s car key and tried to start his car, but damaged the key in the process. Unable to figure out how to get the car started, one of the assailants allegedly asked the victim to give him a ride, but that bridge, apparently, had already burned.
The suspects then ran down Bergen Avenue.
Sgt. Tim Castle found the three suspects at Chestnut and Dukes streets. After further investigation, the three were taken into custody. They were later identified as a 15-year-old Kearny boy, a 13-year-old Franklin boy, and a 16-year-old Dover boy.
All three suspects were charged under juvenile delinquency with carjacking, conspiracy, burglary, criminal attempt (theft) and simple assault. A juvenile intake officer ordered the three remanded to a county youth detention facility.
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Capt. Timothy Wagner | Kearny Police Department
Capt. Timothy Wagner is the Kearny Police Department's public-information officer and the commander of the department's Internal Affairs Unit. He contributes the KPD Blotter weekly and writes it completely.