Bloomfield Cops Arrest Wanted Newark Men After Car Chase

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Bloomfield police arrested a pair of wanted Newark men after one of them managed to elude Newark officers in a stolen car that was later ditched on the Garden State Parkway, police say.

According to the Newark Police Department, officers received information that Rajahn Smith, 22, was seen in a stolen blue Mercedes Benz SUV in the area of South Orange Avenue and 9th Street in Newark on Wednesday.

Smith was wanted for escape by Human Services Police in Trenton and is a suspect in several shootings and robberies in Newark, authorities said.

Detectives located the Mercedes Benz with Smith inside, but he then took off, attempted to evade capture and managed to give pursuing officers the slip in the area of Bradley Court, police said.

Authorities later found the vehicle abandoned on the northbound side of the Garden State Parkway near Exit 150, police said.

Officers from the Bloomfield Police Department later apprehended and arrested Smith and Kenyon Esannason, 19, who was in his company at the time and wanted on a $200,000 warrant for allegedly receiving stolen property, police said.

Esannason had a handgun in his possession at the time of his arrest, police stated.

Authorities charged Smith with escape and Esannason with receiving stolen property and unlawful possession of a weapon.