Essex County Sheriff’s Office

NEWS RELEASE

April 13, 2018

Contact: Sheriff Armando Fontoura (973) 621-4105

Newark – Within minutes of hearing a police radio broadcast of an armed carjacking in Irvington, Essex County sheriff’s officers arrested two males in the suspect vehicle.

Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that officers from his department’s Patrol Division were traveling east on 17^th Avenue as they listened to a radio transmission alerting local law enforcement officers of a carjacking at gunpoint that occurred on Thursday at approximately 9:00 p.m. on Chestnut Street in Irvington.

“Moments later, our officers observed the carjacked 2013 Cadillac SRX with two male occupants traveling west on 17^th Avenue,” Sheriff Fontoura said.  “Our officers immediately turned around and activated their siren and overhead lights in order to conduct a motor vehicle stop.”

Instead of pulling over, the suspect vehicle accelerated to a high rate of speed in an effort to elude the sheriff’s officers.

“The Cadillac was driven by Robert Williams, 18 of Irvington, in a careless and reckless manner.  He drove through multiple red lights and stop signs as he wove the suspect vehicle through on-coming traffic and around the many pedestrians in the area,” Fontoura noted.

As the sheriff’s patrol officers followed the Cadillac, other police units closed in on the scene in order to cut off all routes of escape.

“As our officers followed the suspects, Williams could not negotiate a turn at Elizabeth and Watson avenues and crashed into a fence which disabled the Cadillac,” the sheriff pointed out.  “Surrounded by our officers and officers from the Newark and Irvington police departments, Williams and his accomplice, Shakeem Watkins, 18 of Newark, remained locked inside the car until we made a forcible entry and removed both men.”

A pat-down search of the suspects for officer safety revealed Williams to be in possession of two small plastic bags of marijuana.

To date, both suspects are charged with receiving stolen property and resisting arrest.

Williams was additionally charged with eluding police and possession of CDS.  He was also issued summonses for being an unlicensed driver, careless driving, reckless driving and failure to obey traffic signals.

Last night, a search of the attempted escape route yielded a semi-automatic magazine clip.  The search for a handgun continues.

After processing the suspects on Thursday’s charges, they were turned over to Irvington police for further investigation into the carjacking incident.  Further charges against Williams and Watkins are pending.