Four men who allegedly robbed a bar in Hawthorne NJ and then carjacked a taxi in Paterson NJ last Christmas recently appeared in federal court. The suspect all face federal criminal charges for their alleged crimes.
The criminal incidents occurred on Christmas night, 2015. According to authorities, the four suspects (and another man) began their crime spree by committing an armed robbery at the RD Benders bar located in Hawthorne, New Jersey. The suspects reportedly entered the bar around 7:20 p.m., just as the establishment was set to open for the night. The men allegedly approached a bartender and ordered him to hand over cash from the register.
After getting $200 in money, a cell phone, and a charger, the suspects allegedly ran out of the building and sped off in a motor vehicle.
Approximately eight hours later, four of the suspects allegedly committed a carjacking in Paterson, New Jersey. According to law enforcement, the suspects hailed a taxi on a Paterson NJ road and told the cab driver to take them to Waldwick, NJ. Prior to arriving at their destination, the suspects allegedly flashed handguns at the driver and ordered him to stop in Ridgewood NJ. The suspects then allegedly kidnapped the driver and threw him in the back of a Dodge Caravan that was parked on the side of a road in Ridgewood.
At some point, the suspects allegedly attacked the victim by using a beer bottle to strike him in the face and using a knife to slash his throat. Afterwards, the suspects reportedly tossed the victim s body on the side of the NY State Thruway in Woodbury and then drove off.
The victim was later rushed to a hospital and treated for his severe injuries. Thankfully, he survived the attack.
Police officers later apprehended all of the suspects. The four suspects who allegedly committed both the bar robbery and the carjacking attack include a 20-year-old Ridgewood man, a 21-year-old Waldwick man, and two 19-year-old men from Suffern, New York.
All of the suspects have been charged with multiple federal crimes, including carjacking, kidnapping, armed robbery, use of a firearm during a crime of violence, and conspiracy.
At a recent hearing in US District Court in Newark NJ, federal prosecutors indicated that the four suspects are members of the 18th Street gang.
For additional information about this case, read the NJ.com article, 4 Reputed Gang Members Charged with Robbing Bar, Carjacking Taxi.
