UPS Worker Carjacks Woman Who Stopped To Help: South Brunswick PD

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ – A woman from Monroe was carjacked after she tried to help a UPS worker who had crashed his vehicle, South Brunswick Police said. When apprehended, the man spat on officers and made derogatory comments toward the EMTs treating him, police said.

On Monday, Oct. 28, around 11:33 p.m., officers responded to Ridge Road after receiving a report of a carjacking involving a firearm.

A 59-year-old woman from Monroe told police she was on the phone with her son when she saw a car crash on Ridge Road near the New Jersey Turnpike overpass.

She pulled over to help and observed a man, identified as Ikeice Bell, 34-years-old of Monmouth Junction who was headed to his job at United Parcel Service, exit his crashed vehicle.

Bell approached the woman, opened the passenger door, and said he had a gun. He told the woman to get him out of there.

The woman said she saw what appeared to be a weapon as Bell returned briefly to his own vehicle. When he came back, he repeated the same threat and directed her to drive away with him inside her vehicle, police said.

While driving, the woman discreetly texted her son, telling him about the situation and asking him to track her phone location. She then dropped her phone onto the vehicle floor. During this time, Bell reportedly placed his girlfriend on speaker phone on his cell, police said.

The woman’s son contacted South Brunswick Police, providing critical details, including a description of his mother’s vehicle and the suspected direction of travel.

Officers Jake Pietrefesa and Bruce Redfield located the vehicle on Route 535 and conducted a high-risk traffic stop, police said.

Additional officers arrived to assist, and the woman and Bell were safely stopped. police did not recover any firearm during the initial search.

While being taken to the patrol vehicle, Bell spat at two officers, one of whom was struck in the face, police said. He was later evaluated at Princeton Medical Center.

Bell was subsequently taken to South Brunswick Police Headquarters, and EMS was called to evaluate him for any injuries from the earlier crash. Bell was uncooperative and made derogatory comments toward the EMTs treating him, police said.

Officers found Bell’s vehicle at the original crash site, but found no firearm, police said.

Bell was charged with kidnapping, criminal restraint, carjacking, terroristic threats, and two counts of aggravated assault on a police officer. He has been lodged at the Middlesex County Correctional Facility, awaiting his first court appearance.

The investigation determined that the woman did not know Bell and was only stopping as a good Samaritan.

South Brunswick Police ask anyone with information to contact Detective Brian Luck at (732) 329-4000 ext. 7475.

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