Woodbridge Man Smashed 67 Car Windows Across 2 Counties, Police Say

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — An Iselin man is accused of going on a car window-smashing spree in towns across Middlesex and Union counties, including Woodbridge, Cranford Police said in this press release.

In early April, the Cranford Police Department received several reports of car windshields being shattered during the night.

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At the same time, police in Linden, Rahway, Hillside, Woodbridge and Edison reported similar incidents in those towns, said Cranford Police.

In each case, the suspect threw heavy brick pavers through car windshields. In total, this happened to 67 cars across those towns in a one-week span between April 1 and April 6, said Cranford Police.

Working together, detectives in those towns identified Mohamed K. Abdelaal, 24, as the suspect and he was arrested without incident Wednesday. He is charged with multiple counts of criminal mischief. He is currently being held in the Union County Jail.

Abdelaal has been arrested before, last year in the Poconos:

In March 2025, a Pocono Township, PA Police officer checked Abdelaal's car registration after he committed a traffic violation. The officer found the car's owner had an outstanding arrest warrant in Union County, NJ for fleeing and eluding police.

The officer tried to pull him over, but Abdelaal, 23 at the time, failed to stop, leading Pocono Police on a 26-mile long high-speed car chase. He eventually stopped his car at the entrance to Pocono Country Place and fled from police on foot into a heavily wooded area. Officers located a heavy blood trail where Abdelaal was last seen and knew that he would need medical attention.

Local hospitals were notified, and Abdelaal was later arrested after he went to a nearby hospital. A search warrant was done on his car, where police said they found narcotics and a stolen New Jersey vehicle registration plate. Pocono Police announced his arrest and charges in this press release.