As you may know, last week I reported on a carjacking right in Linden NJ, that occurred at the beginning of August 2020. The horrifying story goes as two suspects followed the victim home and robbed his car at gunpoint. However, finally, after two months of hard work and investigation, the culprits for the crime of auto theft have been found. “I am very proud of the incredible work that went on behind-the-scenes to take these violent delinquents off our streets,” said Police Chief David Hart. “Reducing violent crime is our top priority, and we remain committed to working with our community partners to keep our community safe.”

Although the suspects have been found, they may not be exactly who you think they are. It turns out that the carjackers were juveniles no older than me; two 17-year-old kids. The accused were charged with first-degree carjacking, second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, third-degree possession of stolen property, and fourth-degree aggravated assault. 

What is interesting about this case is that earlier in September there was another carjacking that took place in Newark NJ, and in the situation in Linden, the two culprits used a stolen car when following this victim home. Although there is no direct link as of yet, it is not a huge stretch to assume these two basket cases were involved in both scenarios. However, a deeper look into the situation would reveal that there was another incident where a car was hijacked in Union Township, back in February. A possible theory could point to the idea that these three situations are related and someone or a group of people are using others to steal cars, kind of like a low scale organized crime. It is not completely unlikely that a higher-up in the area is using their power to control kids to do their bidding so their hands don’t have to get dirty. However, before going any further, we have to assume innocence until proven guilty, and it might not be a while until we are certain that our cars are safe. I believe Jughead Jones, a character from the TV show Riverdale, put it best: “To me, I don’t think the question is, “Whodunnit?” I think the real question is whether our town is a place of good or a place of darkness and evil. Or both. Most things are both.”