Police: Man Carjacked Woman In Parking Lot in Monmouth County Friday Afternoon

Marlboro police arrested a New York man who they say snatched a woman’s car keys from her hand and stole her vehicle, according to the complaint signed against the defendant.

Heyner Barraza, 21, of Huntington, New York was charged with theft, carjacking, simple assault and strong armed robbery. He is accused of stealing his co-worker’s 2004 Dodge Neon from the Marlboro Plaza parking lot.

The carjacking occurred around 3 p.m. Friday at the shopping center at the intersection of Route 9 and County Route 520.

Both the victim and the defendant worked at Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza, police said. The victim told police her vehicle was stolen by her co-worker as she was walking in the rear parking lot of Marlboro Plaza, a news release from police said.

According to the complaint signed against Barraza, he approached the victim after she got out of her vehicle, ripped the keys from her hand and stole her car. She suffered a minor injury to her hand, but refused medical treatment, police said.

As Corporal Dennis Demiceli was investigating, police learned that a Dodge Neon had been abandoned near the intersection of Texas Road and Millponds Way. Demiceli went to that intersection, where he found the car and Barraza, police said.

Barraza was sent to the Monmouth County jail, with bail set at $370,000.

Sergeants Nicholas Szymanski and Michael Tischler, Corporal Joseph Chaplinski and Detective Sgt. Christie McKenna assisted with the investigation.