Suspects sought after woman robbed of phone at gunpoint in Maplewood, NJ

MAPLEWOOD — A person accused of holding up a woman Sunday night is one of what may be as many as four suspects authorities are looking for in this Essex County township.

The 22-year-old woman told officers who responded to Tiffany Place around 9:15 p.m. Sunday that she had been the victim of an armed robbery, according to a release posted on Facebook Monday by the Maplewood Police Department.

She said she was sitting in her vehicle, using her phone, when a dark-colored SUV approached from behind and pulled up beside her.

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Police then said she reported that a back seat passenger exited that SUV and came to her window brandishing a gun.

The person demanded that the victim hand over any valuables or be shot, to which she responded that she only had a cell phone, which she surrendered.

A demand was then made for the woman to provide the passcode to the phone, which she did, again under threat of being shot, according to police. She ultimately was not injured.

The woman told police the suspect re-entered the SUV with her phone and the vehicle turned left on Franklin Terrace, out of her line of sight.

She reported that at least three other people were inside the vehicle.

According to police, contact was made with T-Mobile, the victim's cellular provider, but the company was unable to track the phone to an updated location.

Maplewood police said the neighboring Irvington Police Department subsequently said there was an attempted carjacking in that township involving a vehicle matching the description of the SUV in the Maplewood incident.

However, further details about the SUV were not immediately disclosed, nor were genders or other descriptors for any of the suspects.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Detective Bureau of the Maplewood Police Department at 973-762-1234 or by emailing mpalmerezzi@maplewoodnj.gov.

Patrick Lavery is a reporter and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at patrick.lavery@townsquaremedia.com

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