Suspects in Phillipsburg, NJ Carjacking Identified and Arrested

Police in Phillipsburg, New Jersey recently recovered the car stolen in a carjacking and arrested two suspects in the case. The suspects are 19-year-old Alfatir Kelly of Greenwich Township and 18-year-old Davion Smith of Greenwich Township. (Kelly lives on the 1100 block of Monroe Drive and Smith lives on the 500 block of Madison Street.) According to authorities, the victim, a Pennsylvania man, was driving a silver 2012 Hyundai Sonata near the intersection of Fourth Street and Broad Street in Phillipsburg when he came to a stop at a traffic light. That’s when the two suspects allegedly approached the vehicle and threatened to shoot the victim unless he got out of the car. One of the suspects reportedly told the victim that he would use a visible handgun to “blow [his] head off.” When the victim got out of the car, the second suspect allegedly grabbed a knife from the victim.

After the suspects reportedly drove off in the stolen car, the victim found Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission workers and notified them of the carjacking. Detectives with the Phillipsburg Police Department investigated the carjacking and found the stolen car abandoned in Greenwich Township. Just one day after the incident, Phillipsburg police identified and located the two suspects in Newark and placed them under arrest.

Enhanced Penalties for Carjacking in Warren County, NJ

Kelly has been charged with numerous crimes, including carjacking, robbery, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, theft of movable property, and simple assault. Smith faces similar charges for carjacking, robbery, and theft of movable property. If the suspects are convicted on the most serious charges of carjacking, they would likely wind up behind bars in New Jersey State Prison for a very long time. That’s because N.J.S.A. 2C:15-2 of the NJ Criminal Code classifies carjacking as a special kind of violent crime. As set forth by the statute, carjacking is a first degree felony that carries enhanced penalties. Anyone convicted of unlawfully taking a motor vehicle through the use of force or the threat of bodily injury can potentially be sentenced to 30 years in state prison. While most first degree crimes carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, carjacking is treated differently.

On top of the additional penalties imposed under the statute, carjacking is also one of the enumerated crimes in the No Early Release Act (NERA). The NERA covers some of the most violent criminal offenses in NJ, such as carjacking, murder, and armed robbery. In the case of Kelly and Smith, the two carjacking suspects could be required to serve at least 85% of any sentences imposed on them as a result of a guilty plea or a jury conviction at trial.

After being arrested and processed by law enforcement, both Kelly and Smith were moved to the Warren County Correctional Center in Belvidere, NJ. Under the new bail reform guidelines in New Jersey, Kelly and Smith will probably be denied the chance to secure release on bail while the charges remain pending. The truth is that even before bail reform, carjacking suspects in New Jersey were not typically granted a bail option.

Schedule a Free Consultation with Phillipsburg Carjacking Attorneys Today

Were you recently arrested for carjacking in Warren County or Sussex County, NJ? You should speak with a New Jersey criminal defense lawyer who knows how to fight carjacking charges in the courtroom. The Tormey Law Firm is a team of criminal attorneys with experience defending clients against serious criminal charges throughout NJ. Contact us today to discuss your case.