Armed Carjacking Outside Restaurant Leads To Arrests: Police

GLOUCESTER COUNTY, NJ — A man involved in an armed carjacking outside a restaurant and several other vehicle thefts in Gloucester County was arrested Wednesday, authorities said.

Several youths were also charged in the separate incidents, which occurred over the last few weeks in Washington Township and Glassboro, officials said.

The only adult suspect — Job Smith, 19 — was charged with first-degree carjacking and other offenses. He was placed in the Salem County Correctional Facility, which provides jailing services for Gloucester County.

Carjacking In Restaurant Parking Lot

Washington Township police investigated a reported armed carjacking last month outside P.J. Whelihan's.

At about 11:15 p.m. June 20, two masked suspects approached three victims who were returning to their car, police said. One of them took out a short-barreled AR-15-style rifle, while the other displayed a black handgun, according to law enforcement.

The suspect threatened the victims and demanded the keys to their vehicle — a 2021 gray BMW M5 — police said. After taking the key fob, they fled northbound on Hurffville-Cross Keys Road.

A female accomplice aided the suspects' escape, police said. She was driving a blue Honda Civic later determined to have been stolen out of Pennsylvania.

While fleeing, the Honda crashed near the Wawa on Altair Drive, police said. Witnesses told police that the driver fled the scene in the stolen BMW.

No one was injured.

Police identified the suspects as Smith, a 16-year-old Sicklerville girl and a 16-year-old Turnersville boy.

All were charged June 26 with receiving stolen property and various carjacking offenses. Smith and the Turnersville resident also received weapons charges.

The juveniles were arrested June 26 and brought to the Essex County Juvenile Detention Facility. A warrant was issued for Smith, who was arrested Wednesday afternoon after an incident in Glassboro.

Glassboro Investigation

Smith and a 17-year-old from Sewell were charged Wednesday in relation to a series of thefts in Glassboro, police said.

At about 3 a.m. Tuesday, multiple vehicles were stolen out of the Hollybush Gardens Complex, and another was stolen from Mazzeo Drive, police said. Two of the vehicles were later recovered in Camden.

The next day, Glassboro police received seven separate reports of attempted vehicle thefts and damage to vehicles — specifically with the driver-side windows smashed and the steering column/ignitions tampered.

At around 11:50 a.m. Wednesday, another vehicle parked behind Playa Bowls was stolen, police said. The vehicle was running and had the keys inside during the theft.

It was found about 10 minutes later parked at Emmanuel Baptist Church. The car was unoccupied, and beside it was another car with similar damage to the other attempted thefts, police said.

Surveillance footage showed two males stealing the vehicles from the back of the Whitney Center, police said. The suspects were found and located in Whitney Crescent.

Smith and the juvenile were both charged with burglary, conspiracy and motor-vehicle theft.

Smith was placed in jail, while the juvenile was released on a summons.

Glassboro police are investigating whether any other vehicles were stolen.

Smith did not have an attorney listed in online court records on Thursday.