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Third suspect surrenders in Passaic County carjacking case

Authorities said he surrendered following discussions between detectives and his friends and family.

Derek Callahan

Jun 23, 2026, 4:30 PM

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The final suspect wanted in connection with a violent carjacking and robbery in Wayne earlier this month has surrendered to police, authorities said.

Yonathan Joel Medrano-Alvarez turned himself in Monday night to detectives with the Wayne Police Department, according to police. Authorities said he surrendered following discussions between detectives and his friends and family.

Medrano-Alvarez was charged with carjacking, armed robbery, theft, possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, aggravated assault and conspiracy. He was transported to the Passaic County Sheriff's Office Intake Hub pending a detention hearing.

The surrender marks the arrest of the final outstanding suspect in the June 8 carjacking and robbery case that authorities announced last week.

RELATED: 2 Paterson men charged in violent Wayne carjacking; manhunt underway for third armed suspect

At about 2:45 p.m. on June 8, three contractors working at a vacant building slated for demolition on Valley Road were allegedly ambushed by three armed suspects. Police said one victim was pistol-whipped, the workers were robbed, and one of their vehicles was carjacked. The suspects fled in both their own vehicle and the stolen car, and one victim was treated at the scene.

Later that day, Wayne and Paterson police located the suspects' vehicle in Paterson and arrested 24-year-old Brayan D. Espinal-Fernandez, of Paterson, after he returned to it. Investigators recovered evidence linking him to the crime, and the stolen vehicle was later found in Newark.

A second suspect, 32-year-old Luis A. Rivera-Yens, of Paterson, was arrested June 11 after detectives identified him during the investigation and found additional evidence during a search of his home.

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