Area man, 18, charged in attempted carjacking

By sue m. morgan
Staff Writer

Area man, 18, charged
in attempted carjacking
By sue m. morgan
Staff Writer

An Old Bridge man who had been staying at an East Brunswick motel was arrested and charged Monday night with offenses related to an attempted carjacking.

James Rippy, 18, was apprehended by Old Bridge Police Detective John Doherty late Monday night in the parking lot of the McIntosh Inn, Route 18, East Brunswick. Police went to the motel to question Rippy after learning he was staying there, according to Capt. Scott Dyson.

Rippy, whose last known address was on Hilliard Road in Old Bridge, was interrogated by police in the parking lot of the motel and subsequently transported to police headquarters where he was charged with four offenses related to the carjacking, Dyson said.

Rippy is accused of getting into an occupied vehicle in the parking lot of the ShopRite on Route 9, Old Bridge, and repeatedly striking the driver, a 21-year-old male township resident, with a .22-caliber handgun. He was charged with attempted carjacking, aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes, Dyson said.

Rippy was reportedly seen running toward the Stratford Apartments, located just north of the ShopRite, by the victim and a witness following the carjacking attempt, which took place at approximately 8:45 p.m. Friday, police reports state. According to Dyson, Rippy had at one time resided in the Stratford complex and has moved several times within the township over a relatively short period of time.

Information and a description of the assailant provided by the victim led a team of detectives to believe that Rippy could have been the perpetrator, Dyson said. He added that the department had dealt with Rippy on other matters before last week.

"We’re familiar with him from the past," Dyson said.

Police reports indicate that on Friday evening the suspect jumped into the front passenger seat of the victim’s parked vehicle, a 1993 Lexus 300, after the victim had pulled into a parking stall on the supermarket’s south side.

The victim reacted by driving forward while the suspect ordered him out of the car several times, reports state. At that point, the suspect reportedly began striking the victim on the back of his head with the handgun.

After the vehicle hit a snow bank, the suspect exited and ran toward the rear of the supermarket lot, reports state.

A witness whose vehicle was nearly struck by the victim’s as it traveled through the parking lot, reported seeing the suspect exit the vehicle, run into the lot and later toward the apartment complex, according to police reports.

Both the witness and victim provided a description of the suspect to Officer Richard Higgins, who responded to the initial call.

The victim was transported to headquarters before being taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for cuts on his head, Dyson said.

After determining that Rippy was a suspect, and learning from sources that he was staying at the motel, police went to the motel to search for him, Dyson said.

Police encountered Rippy as he stepped out of a taxicab that was dropping him off in front of his motel room, Dyson said. As of Tuesday afternoon, no bail amount had been set for Rippy, who was being held at the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center, North Brunswick.