Family Argument Leads To Carjacking Charge For Juvenile: Police

SADDLE BROOK, NJ — Police charged a Saddle Brook boy with carjacking his mom after mother and son got into an argument while she was driving, police said.

On Tuesday evening, the mother was driving a rented Hyundai Elantra when her son, a passenger in the car, insisted he be given the vehicle to drive, Saddle Brook Police Capt. John Zotollo Jr. said.

An argument between the two escalated, and when the mother noticed her son was carrying a pocket knife, she "became frightened, immediately exited vehicle and called 911," Zotollo said.

Her son then drove away. Police took him into custody on a carjacking charge and recovered the rental car about two hours later in a different part of Saddle Brook, Zotollo said.

The alleged carjacking took place in the township's center, though police aren't releasing the exact location of the incident to protect the boy and a pending investigation.

Officers contacted "several agencies" to assist with the well-being of the son and his family, and Zotollo said the Saddle Brook Police Department will continue to assist them as well.

"The immediate action of our Patrol Officers and Detectives enabled the juvenile and vehicle to be located safely and in a relatively short period of time," Zotollo told Patch.