Man Hired Teens To Commit Car Theft In Princeton That Left 2 Dead: PD

PRINCETON, NJ — A Newark man was charged with burglary and other offenses after he hired teens to steal cars in Princeton last year, which ended in the death of two people, Princeton police said Tuesday.

Elhajjmalik Diallo, 19, was charged with burglary, theft and employing a juvenile to commit a criminal offense after police said he employed a juvenile driver and passenger to steal cars from Princeton.

On Nov. 7, 2021, two people were killed in a head-on collision that took place following the vehicle theft in Princeton, police said.

A 15-year-old was driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee on Princeton-Kingston Road when it crossed the double yellow line and struck a 2016 Acura RDX head-on, police said. The driver of the car, 61-year-old Jodi Marcou of South Brunswick, and the 15-year-old were pronounced dead at the scene. A 14-year-old was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

According to an investigation by Princeton police, the Jeep was stolen from Pequannock Township and Diallo had hired the teen to steal more cars from Princeton. Diallo also stole a 2015 Land Rover from a residence on Dodds Lane, police said.

On May 16, Diallo was arrested by U.S. Marshals Service and New Jersey State Police. He is currently in the Essex County Correctional Facility on the charges from the Princeton Police Department as well as numerous charges from other jurisdictions.

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