Belleville Man Leaps On Car To Stop Thieves, Seriously Hurt: PD

BELLEVILLE, NJ — A man is in critical condition after he clung to a vehicle's hood for almost a mile in an attempt to stop a carjacking, Belleville police said Tuesday.

Police have arrested two Newark residents, 17 and 18, in connection with the incident. They are also accused of committing a separate car theft nearby, authorities said.

According to the Belleville Police Department, the teens allegedly entered a home on Prospect Street around 4 a.m., taking a 2016 Toyota Highlander and the keys to a Toyota RAV4.

The Toyota Highlander was later found "flipped over," Belleville police said.

The teens - who still had the keys to the RAV4 - returned to the Prospect Avenue home, possibly intending to steal another vehicle, police said. But when the owner of the home spotted them, they fled the scene.

The teens then entered another home on High Street and took the keys to a Lincoln MKC at 7:07 a.m. One resident of the home saw them trying to start the car in the driveway, while another rushed outside and tried to block their getaway, jumping onto the hood of the vehicle.

The resident clung to the car for nearly a mile, including a wrong-way trip down Bridge Street. He eventually fell off at Bridge Street near Mill Street and suffered head trauma and a broken collarbone, police said.

Emergency responders transported the victim to University Hospital in Newark. He is listed in critical condition, authorities said.

Newark police apprehended one of the accused teens, Lorenzo Esiahs, 18, at 8:40 a.m. after a short car chase. He was later charged with two counts of burglary, two counts of theft, one count carjacking, five counts of conspiracy and one count of attempted murder.

Charges for the 17-year-old suspect - whose name was not released due to his age - are expected to be announced Wednesday, police said.

A reporter with News 12 New Jersey posted the below surveillance footage taken at the scene of the incident. (Read the full article)

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