Four teenagers are accused of stealing a high-end SUV in New Jersey and taking it on a reckless ride that ended in a deadly head-on crash, killing a cherished grandmother and her longtime partner, authorities said.
Alice Stilwell Holt, 67, and Robert “Bob” Barr Jr., 54, both from Egg Harbor Township, died around 7:30 a.m. on Aug. 22 near Route 50 and Third Street in Mays Landing, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office.
Investigators said Nayshaun Brown, 18, of Atlantic City, and three minors allegedly stole a 2024 Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon at about 3:40 a.m. Saturday before driving off in the luxury vehicle.
A group of New Jersey teens allegedly stole a luxury SUV and tried to flee police before the vehicle slammed head-on into another car, authorities said. (FOX 29)
The alleged joyride turned fatal when the G-Wagon crashed head-on into a Hyundai sedan carrying Holt and Barr as the driver attempted to get away from authorities, prosecutors said. Surveillance footage reportedly shows the black Mercedes striking the sedan with such force that the smaller car was pushed into a nearby gas station.
Officials said the teenagers suffered only minor injuries in the wreck and attempted to flee on foot, but they were taken into custody a short time later.
Brown and the three juveniles were charged with conspiracy-related counts tied to aggravated assault, joyriding, eluding police and receiving a stolen motor vehicle, authorities said.
Brown also faces an additional charge of employing a juvenile in the commission of a crime.
Brown is being held at the Atlantic County Justice Facility. Two of the juveniles remain in custody, while another was released by a Superior Court judge Sunday morning.
New Jersey police arrested four teenagers who allegedly stole a luxury SUV and led officers on an hourslong chase that ended in a head-on crash. (Fox 29)
Officers had been following the stolen G-Wagon since approximately 3:40 a.m. in nearby Longport, where it sped past a local officer who attempted to stop the teenagers.
Hamilton Township police then spotted the vehicle and pursued it around 7:45 a.m., but officers had lost sight of it a few minutes before the crash, prosecutors said.
A GoFundMe organized by a family friend describes Stilwell Holt as a beloved mother and grandmother.
“This unimaginable tragedy has left their family in deep grief, and the shock of how suddenly it happened has made this painful time even harder to bear,” the fundraiser said.
The crash killed the sedan’s two occupants, Robert Barr, Jr., 54, and Alice Stilwell, 67, from Egg Harbor Township, prosecutors said. Alice Stilwell [center] pictured while on a cruise. (GoFundMe)
Holt’s obituary said that she and Barr were longtime partners after her husband had passed away.
“Alice met her partner of 20+ years — Robert Barr II — whom she remained with until their untimely passing,” it said. “They enjoyed spending their days cooking together, attending farmers markets, gardening, and simply spending quality time with each other and their two cats.”
Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to contact the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit at (609) 909-7684. Tips can also be submitted anonymously at ACPO.Tips.
News Outlet reached out to the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office and the Township of Hamilton Police Department. A lawyer representing Brown and the three other teens was not immediately available.
