Jersey city man arrested in Saint Peter's College dorm after carjacking-assault

Saturday, December 03, 2011, 3:03 AM
By Michaelangelo Conte/The Jersey Journal


Jermaine Wright appears at Central Judicial Processing Court in Jersey City via video link yesterday from Hudson County jail in Kearny.

A Jersey City man was arrested in a Saint Peter?s College dorm after entering a woman?s room and flopping on her roommate?s bed yesterday, hours after police say he slashed a man during a Greenville carjacking.

Bail was set at $150,000 cash or bond yesterday for Jermaine ?Maine? Wright, 22, of Bostwick Avenue, who was arrested at about 12:15 p.m. on the fourth floor of Whalen Hall, located at Kennedy Boulevard and Montgomery Street.

He was charged with carjacking, aggravated assault, burglary, criminal trespass, theft, resisting arrest and weapons offenses related to a knife, reports said.
A 28-year-old Bostwick Avenue man told police that at 9 a.m. he pulled into the underground parking lot of his residence and a man walked up with a knife, saying: ?Give me your car keys ... I have to go somewhere,? reports said.

The victim managed to walk away with the man following him, reports said, adding that he got into the building and locked the door.

But the victim went back and saw the man inside his car trying to turn the ignition with a knife, reports said, adding that the carjacker then got out and slashed at the victim, cutting two of his fingers. The Bostwick Avenue man identified Wright from photographs, reports said, adding that he lives less than a block away.

Around noon, police went to Saint Peter?s on a call of a burglary in progress and began searching the dorm, reports said. The 18-year-old woman said she was in bed and talking on the phone when a man walked in and jumped into her roommate?s empty bed, reports said.

She was confused because he was friendly and acted familiar, but she soon realized he was not an acquaintance and yelled at him, reports said. The student said she became ?very frightened? when the man got up and approached her, but she kicked him and was able to run away, reports said.
While police were talking to the student, Wright walked by heading for an elevator and was arrested after a struggle, reports said, adding that the victim identified him.
When Wright was arrested he was found carrying a duffel bag containing electronics items taken from two dorm rooms and a cellphone taken during the carjacking attempt and was carrying a knife in his pocket.
All dorm doors are equipped with swipe card readers and campus security believes Wright entered through a door used for receiving deliveries, which was open for a short time, college spokeswoman Sarah Malinowski said yesterday.

Malinowski said the director of campus security met with the victims and all are fine and their property has been returned. College officials credited students for acting swiftly and bringing police to the scene quickly.

Wright made his first appearance on the charges yesterday in Central Judicial Processing court in Jersey City via video link from Hudson County jail in Kearny. Court officials said he has six prior arrests, including two in South Carolina, and has been homeless for two months.