A New York man was charged for an armed carjacking committed in South Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Federal officials said Jashawn Robinson, 21, of Queens, New York, is charged by complaint with one count of carjacking and one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. He will appear for his initial appearance at a later date.
According to the documents filed in this case:
On Aug. 29, 2021, at approximately 11:15 a.m., as two victims approached their vehicle parked in a motel parking lot to leave, Robinson ran up behind one of them, pointed a gun directly at her, and forcefully pulled her away from the vehicle.
Robinson fired one round of ammunition from his gun into the air. Robinson then pointed his gun at the second victim, who had his hands in the air and was backing away from the vehicle. Robinson then entered the vehicle and drove away.
The carjacking, including Robinson’s discharge of the firearm, was captured on video surveillance.
On Sept. 27, 2021, law enforcement officers located the carjacked vehicle parked on a residential street in Queens, New York, and established surveillance.
The officers observed Robinson approach and enter that vehicle. As law enforcement officers converged and surrounded the vehicle, Robinson repeatedly tried to get away, including hitting parked cars and almost hitting law enforcement personnel. Robinson was removed from the vehicle and arrested.
The count of carjacking carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison.
The count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence is punishable by a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, which must run consecutively to any term of imprisonment imposed on any other charge.
Both charges each carry a potential fine of up to $250,000.