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Background: News footage of the scene where Jhon Aponte Alarcon was killed in Newark, N.J., on April 4 (WNBC). Inset: Jhon Aponte Alarcon (GoFundMe).
In a tragic incident, a New Jersey father working as a delivery driver lost his life when a teenager allegedly attempted to steal his vehicle.
Jhon Aponte Alarcon, aged 46, succumbed to his injuries on April 4 after a car accident in Newark, New Jersey. As per the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, Alarcon was in the midst of a delivery at 12:45 p.m., leaving his car running on the street while he delivered a package. Seizing the opportunity, a teenage suspect reportedly entered the vehicle and began to drive away.
Alarcon quickly pursued his car, clinging to it as the suspect continued driving. The situation turned dire when the suspect collided with a parked car, causing Alarcon’s vehicle to overturn, fatally injuring the father of three.
Authorities reported that the suspect fled the scene on foot. He was apprehended on Tuesday and now faces charges including first-degree murder, carjacking, vehicular homicide, fleeing an accident scene resulting in death, endangering an injured victim, and vehicle theft. His identity remains undisclosed due to his minor status.
Debyd Aponte, one of Alarcon’s sons, shared with WNBC, an NBC affiliate based in New York, about the profound impact of their father’s tragic death. Initially, the family was only informed that Alarcon had been involved in a car accident, without knowing the full circumstances surrounding his death.
Aponte told WNBC, “It’s been really difficult. My dad was a hard-working man, he wasn’t doing anything bad. He was working, trying to provide for us, when this [tragedy] happens.”
On a GoFundMe page started to raise money for funeral expenses, Alarcon’s son wrote, “This has completely shattered our world. One moment he was here, and the next he was gone. Nothing could have prepared us for this kind of pain.”
Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II encouraged anyone with more information about the case to call their tip line: 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432.