Metro

3 New Jersey carjackers quickly busted after stealing ride with flat tire

Their carjacking plot fell flat.

A trio of hapless Brooklyn crooks were arrested in New Jersey Wednesday after police said they stole a woman’s car — only to find the vehicle had a flat tire and wouldn’t take them very far.

According to a statement from the Englishtown Police Department, a woman was sitting in her 2015 Mazda 3 in the parking lot of a Walgreens on Gordons Corner Road at 9 a.m. when three men approached and forced her out of the vehicle.

Cops said the carjackers sped away, driving eastbound on Gordons Corner Road toward Route 9 — still unaware of a key flaw with the car they’d just swiped.

“Unbeknownst to the assailants at the time, the victim was waiting on assistance from AAA to change a flat tire that had just occurred to her vehicle,” police wrote.

Pictured is a Walmart parking lot where a woman was carjacked in Englishtown, New Jersey, by three men.
A woman was carjacked in the parking lot of the Walmart in Englishtown, New Jersey, by three men who did not realize her Mazda had a flat tire. News12 New Jersey

Meanwhile, the owner of the defective Mazda called 911 to report the carjacking, which led to a rapid police response.

By the time the young car thieves entered the city of Manalapan, they realized the Mazda was disabled and pulled into the parking lot of a local synagogue — just half a mile from the scene of their crime.

A short time later, police units arrived and busted all three suspects, who allegedly admitted to stealing the car.

Rayj Durant, 20, Tyler Lares, 18, and Hazma Williams, 19, all of Brooklyn, were each charged with carjacking, motor vehicle theft, theft and conspiracy. Williams was also charged with hindering apprehension.

Pictured is a street where the crooks drove away -- until they realized the car had a flat and had to pull over.
The crooks drove away in the stolen Mazda, going eastbound on Gordons Corner Road, but only made it half a mile before they were forced to pull over. News12 New Jersey

They were being held at the Monmouth County jail ahead of a detention hearing.

All three are also being investigated for other crimes that police said took place in the area before the bungled carjacking.

Police said the Mazda owner was not hurt during the heist.