FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP – A Massachusetts man is facing charges of carjacking and other offenses following his arrest in Freehold Township.
According to a press release from the Freehold Township Police Department, the 24-year-old male resident of Springfield, Mass., was arrested in Freehold Township on July 1 following an incident that began in the parking lot at Sam’s Club, West Main Street.
Lt. Scot Hall said a preliminary investigation indicated the man attempted to steal items from a 52-year-old female resident of Freehold Township. The woman responded to the robbery attempt by entering her vehicle and honking the horn.
Hall said the woman’s actions attracted the attention of other patrons in the parking lot and caused the man to flee from her.
Hall said the man then approached an 83-year-old female resident of Freehold Township who was exiting her vehicle in the Sam’s Club parking lot. He said the man took the woman’s keys from her after demanding them, and knocked her to the ground.
He said the man got into the woman’s vehicle and attempted to flee the scene, but lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree.
Hall said the man exited the vehicle and tried to escape on foot through a Walmart store in the same shopping center. The man was detained by citizens who were present in the area. The citizens detained the man until Freehold Township police officers reached the scene and placed the man under arrest.
No further threat to the community was found by police officers, according to Hall, who said the Massachusetts resident was charged with carjacking, robbery, criminal attempt robbery, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and criminal mischief.
Police are asking anyone who witnessed the incident to contact Patrol Officer Kevin Cross at 732-462-7908, ext. 6263, or Detective William Ketelaar at 732-294-2110.