A routine delivery turned into a deadly nightmare for a New Jersey father — and now a teenager is facing serious charges.
Jhon Aponte Alarcon, 46, was killed after a teen allegedly tried to steal his car while he was working as a delivery driver in Newark.
According to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, Alarcon had briefly stepped away from his vehicle around 12:45 p.m. on April 4, leaving it running as he dropped off a package.
That’s when investigators say the suspect jumped into the driver’s seat and tried to take off.
Realizing what was happening, Alarcon ran back and grabbed onto the vehicle as it sped away — but the situation quickly turned tragic.
Authorities say the teen continued driving before crashing into a parked car, causing the vehicle to flip over and fatally crush Alarcon.
The suspect then allegedly fled the scene on foot.
He was arrested days later and is now facing a long list of charges, including first-degree murder, carjacking, vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of a deadly crash, and theft of a motor vehicle. Because he is a minor, his identity has not been released.
Alarcon leaves behind three sons, who are now grieving the sudden and devastating loss.
“My dad was a hard-working man,” his son said. “He wasn’t doing anything bad. He was just trying to provide for us.”
A fundraiser set up by the family describes the loss as unimaginable.
“One moment he was here, and the next he was gone,” the page reads. “Nothing could have prepared us for this kind of pain.”