Dover NJ police recently arrested an illegal immigrant accused of committing a carjacking in a violent incident involving a cab driver.
According to the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, the 29-year-old suspect robbed a taxicab driver at knifepoint around 5:30 a.m. in September 2015. The incident occurred in the area of the intersection of Second Street and Byram Avenue in Dover, New Jersey.
The suspect may have been drunk when he approached the taxi, a Lincoln Town Car, and flashed a knife at the cab driver. The suspect allegedly stole the vehicle and drove away.
The victim dialed 911 and notified the Dover Police Department of the carjacking. A short time later, a Dover patrol officer saw the suspect driving the cab.
The subsequent chase only lasted a few moments, with the suspect reportedly crashing the cab and then attempting to flee the scene on foot. He was quickly captured by Dover police officers.
The suspect is now likely headed to trial in Morris County Superior Court in Morristown NJ after a grand jury indicted him for numerous criminal charges, including carjacking, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, eluding police, and resisting arrest.
If the suspect is ultimately convicted of carjacking, he would be subject to significant penalties. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:15-2, carjacking is a first degree criminal offense. While first degree felonies typically carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a carjacking conviction could lead to the suspect being sentenced to up to 30 years in New Jersey State Prison.
Additionally, the suspect faces deportation to Mexico because he is allegedly an illegal immigrant.
Meanwhile, the suspect is being held at the Morris County Jail in Morristown NJ on a $250K bail amount.
For more information about this case, see the DailyRecord.com article, “Dover Man Indicted on Charge of Carjacking Cab Driver.”