Accused Carjacker Caught Shoplifting In Montclair, Police Say

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A Hamilton resident has been accused of committing a “strong-arm carjacking” in Montclair, authorities announced Tuesday.

According to the Montclair Police Department, the carjacking took place around 5:30 p.m. on Sunday on the 200-block of Glenridge Avenue. The victim told officers she was sitting in her 2006 Ford Taurus, when an unknown man opened the driver’s side door, grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her out of her vehicle.

The man entered the Taurus and fled west on Glenridge Avenue, then headed west on Bloomfield Avenue, authorities said.

The vehicle was located unoccupied several hours later parked behind a private residence on Claremont Avenue, after the resident called police about a “suspicious vehicle” in her driveway, authorities said.

The victim – who wasn’t injured – gave officers a description of the carjacker, police said.

A break in the case came at 2:45 p.m. on Monday, when the manager at CVS Pharmacy on Claremont Avenue reported a shoplifting in progress, police said.

Responding officers located Omar Williams, 43, of Hamilton, inside the CVS. They identified Williams as the suspect wanted in connection with the carjacking and arrested him without incident, authorities said.

Williams was charged with carjacking, two counts of shoplifting and refusal to submit to fingerprinting. He was transported to the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark.

A police investigation continues, authorities said Tuesday. Anyone with information can contact Detective Daniel Heiser at (973) 509-4724, or Detective Lisa Gutauskas at (973) 509-4739.

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