By: Richard L. Smith
Newark Police successfully apprehended three adults and four juveniles following two armed robberies and an intense multi-jurisdictional pursuit.
The day's events began unfolding around 8 a.m. when police were alerted to an armed robbery on Clifton Avenue near Treadwell Street.
A female victim reported being held at gunpoint by a group of five to seven Black males, all donning dark clothing and ski masks.
The assailants made their escape in a gray 2019 Hyundai Sonata, a vehicle reported stolen from Newark earlier that day.
Shortly after, at 8:20 a.m., another woman walking near Grafton and Manchester Avenues was similarly robbed at gunpoint.
The suspects, described similarly to those in the earlier incident, quickly fled the scene in the same stolen Hyundai.
Newark Police officers spotted the suspect vehicle at Bergen Street and Avon Avenue. An attempt to pull the vehicle over was met with resistance, leading to a high-speed chase on Route 78 West.
The pursuit escalated with the deployment of the Newark Police helicopter.
The chase came to a head when the suspects abandoned their vehicle at Route 78 and Exit 26, attempting to flee on foot.
A coordinated effort by the Newark Police, NJ State Police, Tewksbury Police, and Readington Police led to the successful capture of all suspects.
The arrested adults, identified as Ian Cisse, 19, from Secaucus, and Tyler A. Walker, 18, and Jahaad J. Lewis, 18, both from Newark, face charges including robbery, conspiracy, weapon possession, employing a juvenile in a crime, criminal restraint, and child endangerment.
The four apprehended juveniles from Newark, aged between 13 and 17, face similar charges, including robbery, conspiracy, weapon possession, possession of a firearm by minors, criminal restraint, and child endangerment.
This swift response by multiple law enforcement agencies highlights the seriousness with which such crimes are addressed and the commitment to public safety in Newark and surrounding communities.