Sayreville Man Admits To 2017 Edison Carjacking, Assault Of Woman

EDISON, NJ — A Sayreville man will serve 25 years in prison after police say he impersonated a police officer in the parking lot of the Wick Plaza shopping mall on Rt. 1 in Edison, showed a woman a badge and gun and then started punching her.

John Spina, 46, of Sayreville, pleaded guilty on May 13 of this year to carjacking, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and eluding.

This incident happened back in 2017: Police say that a approximately 1:16 p.m. on January 10, 2017, Spina approached a female motorist in the parking lot of the Wick Plaza shopping mall on Rt. 1 in Edison and showed her a badge and a gun.

When the woman rolled down her car window, Spina began punching her, got into her car and continued punching her before she was able to flee. The woman was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, where she was treated and released.

Spina drove from the scene in the woman’s car, which later was located on Washington Road in Sayreville.

As police pursued him, he fled, sideswiped two oncoming vehicles and then struck a third vehicle
head-on. The driver of the third vehicle was also taken to a hospital, where she was treated and released.

He then continued to drive from the scene and fled from the stolen car when it ran off the road and became lodged in shrubbery. Police arrested him in Sayreville.

As part of his plea agreement, Spina will be sentenced to 25 years in prison and he has to serve 85 percent of his prison term before becoming eligible for parole.

Original Patch report on this incident: Edison: Man Posed as Cop, Beat Woman, Stole Her Car Tuesday, Police Report