Bentley 1, would-be carjackers 0.
Surveillance footage caught an epic battle late last week between three would-be carjackers and a man defending his luxury SUV.
As seen in video obtained by ABC 7 on Tuesday, three masked marauders jumped the unidentified driver in the parking lot of a New Jersey grocery store, attempting to yank him out of his seat. The incident happened Friday as he was pulling into a parking space in front of the Patel Brothers grocery store in Edison.
The carjackers knocked the driver down but he pummeled them back and escaped, running into the store and calling police. His father, store owner Kaushik Patel, recounted the experience on Tuesday.
“When I saw the video I was scared,” he told ABC, but said his son, though shaken, reassured him. “‘I’m safe dad, don’t worry, everything is good, just minor scratches.’”
In the end, the thieves did not make away with the car, as the driver managed to keep ahold of his key fob. But the suspects themselves did get away and police are still searching for those involved in the attack.
This was the son’s second run-in with carjackers, who made off with his Mercedes G-Class SUV in an earlier theft, according to ABC 7.
Such thefts are organized by gangs whose leaders often recruit young teens to do their dirty work, since juveniles will not get prosecuted as strongly, ABC reported. It’s part of a trend that has law enforcement experts concerned.
“It’s a well-known fact that home invasions, burglaries and auto thefts are on the rise throughout New Jersey,” Edison Mayor Sam Joshi said in a statement. “The unfortunate reality is that juveniles from New Jersey as well as out-of-state are perpetrating crimes without facing proper consequences. I firmly advocate for treating individuals who commit serious offenses such as home invasions, burglaries, or carjacking’s to the extent possible as adults within our justice system.”
