Three Arrested After Crashing Stolen Motor Vehicle
Published on August 19, 2022
Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Chief of Detectives Christoph K. Kimker, Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon, Wharton Police Chief David Young and Rockaway Township Police Chief Martin McParland, Jr., announce the arrests of three individuals after crashing a stolen high end motor vehicle linked to multiple crimes throughout New Jersey.
At approximately 7:30 a.m., on August 17, 2022, Morris County law enforcement were alerted to a stolen vehicle traveling State Highway 15 South. A short time later, the Wharton Police Department was dispatched to a motor vehicle crash in the area of SH 15 South and Mt. Pleasant Avenue.
Upon arrival, officers confirmed the vehicle involved in the crash was a 2021 Bentley Bentayga, stolen from a residential garage in Rumson, NJ, the prior day. Upon crashing the vehicle, three (3) males fled from the scene.
Officers from surrounding agencies, including the Rockaway Township Police Department, Jefferson Township Police Department, Picatinny Police, New Jersey State Police, Morris County Sheriff’s Office Patrol and Emergency Services Section, responded to the scene and coordinated efforts to apprehend the males who crashed the stolen Bentley. Investigative and search efforts, assisted by the Morris County Sheriff’s K-9 Unit and the Morris County Office of Emergency Management, resulted in all three males being taken into custody within the surrounding areas.
As a result of law enforcement efforts and investigation, the following were charged by complaint warrant and lodged in the Morris County Correctional Facility in accordance with Bail Reform:
Rajohn Robinson, age 27, of Newark, NJ, has been charged with:
- Unlawful Taking of a Means of Conveyance (Motor Vehicle), in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:20-10C, a crime of the third degree.
- Two (2) counts of Theft (Motor Vehicle), in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:20-7A, crimes of the second degree.
- Obstruction by Flight, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:29-1A, a crime of the fourth degree.
Eion Johnson, age 18, of East Orange, NJ, has been charged with:
- Unlawful Taking of a Means of Conveyance (Motor Vehicle), in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:20-10C, a crime of the third degree.
- Two (2) counts of Theft (Motor Vehicle), in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:20-7A, crimes of the second degree.
- Obstruction by Flight, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:29-1A, a crime of the fourth degree.
Dahmar Robinson, age 21, of Jersey City, NJ, has been charged with:
- Unlawful Taking of a Means of Conveyance (Motor Vehicle), in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:20-10C, a crime of the third degree.
- Two (2) counts of Theft (Motor Vehicle), in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:20-7A, crimes of the second degree.
- Obstruction by Flight, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:29-1A, a crime of the fourth degree.
Prosecutor Carroll commends our Team of Morris County law enforcement officers involved in this incident for acting quickly and professionally. He stated, “Thankfully, there were no injuries to any of our citizens or responding personnel. This is yet another regrettable incident of vehicle theft that greatly transcends the “joy ride”. Here we have the merging of several of the most dangerous current challenges we all face with the unprecedented rise in vehicle thefts”.
Prosecutor Carroll added “First we have to deal with the theft event, then use in other criminal conduct including highly dangerous eluding police, the all too often major crashes and resulting property destruction, and, as here, the deployment of personnel and tracking equipment to a foot search with then unknown dangers. Here, this effort required consumption of the valuable resources and personnel of seven Local, County and State police units to finally achieve safe and secure arrests. The aforementioned challenges are then compounded when we find that the subjects arrested demonstrate an emerging and serious threat, that is, the recruitment of young men or juveniles by older men to work together in conspiracies to commit vehicle thefts and then related crimes. This again demonstrates the need for additional legislation to address this most serious crime trend of a new pathway to a criminal career for a young adult or juvenile” This is a high priority for Sheriff Gannon, the Morris County Police Chiefs Association and our Prosecutor’s Office.
Sheriff Gannon stated, “I’d like folks to know that this is not simply a matter of temporarily losing your vehicle to car thieves, then navigating the insurance process to obtain a replacement. Your car is extremely likely to be used in the commission of other serious crimes to include shootings and murder, it’s happening every day. That’s the real reason they’re taking them, it’s for their anonymity, during the crime spree, and then disposal. These felons are not joyriders, it’s a criminal enterprise and its happening every day.”
“In Morris County, we are fighting this scourge as we do with almost everything, as a team. The local municipal police departments, the Morris County Prosecutors Office, the New Jersey State Police and the Morris County Sheriff’s Office are in constant contact, we support each other. Chief Jeffrey Almer, President of the Morris County Police Chiefs Association, Prosecutor Robert Carroll, and I meet regularly, and often, and we know the dangerousness of these actors, we ask that you help by locking your car doors, taking your key fobs into your homes, and working with your neighbors to report anything that appears suspicious. Don’t allow your car to be used to carry out a deadly event.”
Chief Young and Chief McParland contribute the successful apprehension of the above suspects to the coordination and cooperation of all agencies involved, noting this is another example of how well Morris County law enforcement works together. On behalf of the Wharton Police Department, Chief Young commends all of the officers who responded and contributed.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Despite these accusations, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he has been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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