By: Tracie Carter
School #1 in Linden was briefly placed into lockdown Tuesday morning following reports of an attempted carjacking nearby, according to a statement released by the Linden Police Department.
The incident occurred on January 28th at approximately 8:30 a.m. when officers were dispatched to the 700 block of E. Curtis Street.
Initial reports indicated that two juveniles wearing masks approached a vehicle stopped at the curb, opened the driver's side door, and motioned as if they had a weapon while ordering the driver to exit.
The driver refused to comply and quickly drove away from the scene.
Police officers promptly responded, notified the school, and initiated the lockdown as a precautionary measure.
The lockdown was lifted shortly after officers located two juveniles matching the suspects' description in the area. A subsequent investigation confirmed their involvement, and they were taken into custody.
Authorities later discovered the juveniles might have been connected to a similar attempted carjacking in the Walgreens parking lot at 22 E. St. George Avenue.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported in either incident, which remain under investigation by the Linden Police Juvenile Aid Bureau and Detective Bureau.
The Linden Police Department encourages anyone with information about these incidents to contact Detective John Basich at (908) 474-8520.