Prosecutors in Morris County are seeking a 15-year prison term for a woman who allegedly locked an elderly woman in a car trunk and stole the woman’s credit cards.
According to police, the 53-year-old suspect teamed up with her 43-year-old friend to rob a 71-year-old New Hampshire woman. The incident occurred in 2012.
The victim was returning home after visiting with her family in Mount Laurel NJ when she got lost in Parsippany, New Jersey. The woman stopped to ask for directions, which gave the suspects the time they needed to allegedly commit the crime.
Prosecutors said that the male suspect “flagged down” the victim and then gained access to the vehicle. According to prosecutors, both suspects then grabbed the victim and placed her in the vehicle’s trunk.
The suspects allegedly stole the victim’s credit cards and went on a shopping spree. Police later determined that the suspects used the stolen credit cards to buy items at TJ Maxx in East Hanover and Kohl’s in Woodland Park. Additionally, the suspects reportedly used the credit cards to buy gas at a Shell station in Parsippany, New Jersey.
Police eventually tracked down the suspects and placed them under arrest.
The suspects, who both hail from East Rutherford NJ, were indicted by a Morris County grand jury on 11 counts, including carjacking, kidnapping, and robbery.
The male suspect later pleaded guilty to just one count of carjacking in exchange for a 25-year sentence in New Jersey State Prison.
Now prosecutors are prepared to offer the female suspect a plea deal. The plea offer would call for the suspect to serve 15 years in NJ State Prison in exchange for pleading guilty to the robbery charges. However, the suspect would be eligible for parole after serving 12 years and 9 months in prison.
The female suspect reportedly has until March 5 to accept or reject the plea offer.
To learn more about this case, check out the NJ.com article entitled “Prosecutor: Woman Should Get 15 Years for Robbing Woman, Putting Her in Car Trunk.”
