Carjacking Attempt Ends When 3 Teens Couldn't Drive Stick: Police

PLEASANTVILLE, NJ — Three teenagers were unsuccessful in their attempt to carjack a food delivery driver in Pleasantville on Monday when they could not figure out how to drive the stick shift vehicle, authorities said.

Pleasantville police responded to a carjacking involving a food delivery driver at 305 West Washington Ave. on Monday, according to Lieutenant Stacey Schlachter.

Three 15-year-olds attempted to take the driver’s vehicle while the car was left running. One of the juveniles entered the driver's side of the 2006 Honda Civic as a second juvenile entered the passenger side, police said.

The teenagers attempted to drive away with the deliveryman's vehicle, but were unsuccessful when they could not figure out how to operate his vehicle’s manual transmission, police said.

As the deliveryman approached his vehicle, the juveniles came out of the vehicle and assaulted him by punching him on various parts of his body. A third juvenile also started punching and kicking the driver while he was on the ground, police said.

NJ Advance Media reports that the man, who is in his late 40s, was not seriously injured.

Police arrested the teens and charged them with carjacking, conspiracy to commit carjacking, aggravated assault and conspiracy to commit aggravated assault. Two of the teens are from Pleasantville while the other lives in Atlantic City.

All three teenagers were taken into custody at a juvenile detention center in Atlantic County.

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