NJ Standoff Suspect Hid In Basement As 2 Fled In Pajamas: Report

LINDEN, NJ — Instead of having a relaxing Sunday morning, a Linden mother and son had a scary encounter when a Newark man broke into their home and barricaded himself inside for five hours, according to a report.

Willie S. Wright, 50, broke into the home on the 600 block of South Park Avenue while a mother and son were eating their breakfast, according to News12.

The family escaped while still in their pajamas when they saw a surveillance video of Wright hiding out in their basement, according to News12.

Wright broke into the home following an attempted robbery and carjacking at gunpoint earlier that day, prosecutors said. A neighbor, Kristi DePalma, said that when Wright was handcuffed he wasn't wearing any pants or boxers, according to News12.

The Union County Prosecutor's Office would not confirm this detail.

• See Related: Man Who Barricaded Himself In Custody: Police

The situation began just after 9:15 a.m. on Sunday when Wright got into a parked vehicle at the Aviation Plaza shopping center at U.S. Routes 1&9 and West Edgar Road in Linden, prosecutors said.

The suspect demanded that he surrender his wallet, according to the preliminary investigation.

The driver, a 69-year-old Linden resident, refused and a physical fight with Wright began that ended when he struck the victim in the head with a handgun.

Wright then got into another parked vehicle nearby and sped away, acting Union County Prosecutor Michael A. Monahan and Linden Police Chief David Hart jointly announced Monday.

The 2013 Hyundai Elantra was found and chased by police as Wright drove north on U.S. Routes 1&9 until he lost control and struck a curb, utility pole, and guardrail near South Park Avenue before also crashing with a 2017 Ford van, police report.

Wright then approached the driver of the van, showed a handgun, and tried to carjack the van. The driver refused to get out, so Wright ran away on foot, according to the report.

Wright then broke into the basement of a home on the 600 block of South Park Avenue in Linden, according to police.

A five-hour standoff then began with members of the Union County Emergency Response Team (UCERT) SWAT Unit. After lengthy negotiations, authorities were able to go inside the home at around 2:30 p.m. and arrest Wright.

Wright is charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree carjacking, a first-degree weapons offense, second-degree burglary, second-degree eluding police, three second-degree weapons offenses, third-degree burglary, third-degree hindering apprehension, fourth-degree obstruction of justice, and criminal mischief.

A handgun was later found in the backyard of a nearby home, police report.

“I am in complete admiration of the professionalism, dedication, and restraint exhibited by the UCERT SWAT Unit and by all members of law enforcement who responded to Sunday’s events,” Monahan said. “They managed to defuse an extremely dangerous situation created by an armed defendant with no qualms about using violence to achieve his aims.”

In addition to UCERT SWAT and Linden police, responding agencies also included the Union County Police Department, Union County Prosecutor’s Office, Union County Sheriff’s Office, Elizabeth Police Department, and Roselle Police Department.

Wright was lodged in Union County Jail pending a first appearance and detention hearing expected to take place later this week.

Wright could face 10 to 20 years in state prison for the first-degree charges.

(Image via Union County Prosecutor's Office: Willie S. Wright, 50, of Newark)

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