Newark police seek public’s help finding woman accused of stealing car with 3-year-old inside

The incident happened around 8:15 a.m. on Tuesday on the 100 block of Wilson Avenue in Newark. The boy was found unharmed in Jersey City.

Matt Trapani and Eliecer Marte

Oct 31, 2023, 2:21 PM

Updated 405 days ago

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A parents’ nightmare has come to an end - the 3-year-old boy from Newark who went missing after a carjacking is back home safe and sound.
A surveillance camera captured the moment when a 2017 silver-colored Hyundai Sonata was driving away on Wilson Avenue in Newark. Police say it was around 8:15 a.m. when the vehicle was stolen with the child inside.
About two hours later, and after an Amber Alert was issued, the child was found unharmed, inside the car on Liberty Avenue in Jersey City. The suspect, who police believe is a woman, remains at large.
The dad carrying his son back home said in Portuguese, “He is doing fine, thank God, they found him, and he is healthy.”
News 12 has learned the stolen vehicle belongs to the father. He was also observed on the surveillance video rushing to chase after the suspect after the car was stolen with his son inside.
A coworker described how things happened after the dad briefly stepped into his place of employment at an auto parts store very close to his home.
“The father came in to grab parts back at the store. He left his car there with the son not even a minute. He went back and the car was gone,” the employee said.
Police initially described the suspect as male, but now say the suspect is female. She is a Black woman last seen wearing a backward ball cap, black North Face jacket, blue jeans and red and white sneakers.
Courtesy: Newark Police Department.
Anyone who may have information should call the Newark police Crime Stoppers line at 1-877-695-8477. All tips are confidential.
Chopper 12 over the scene in Jersey City where police found the car: