NJ city offers ‘safe zone’ for online buyers after girl pushed out of car in robbery

LINDEN — This Union County city is the latest municipality in the state to offer a safe place for internet buyers and sellers to meet in person to exchange money and goods.

The city's police department announced preliminary plans Saturday for its future Internet Exchange Zone after a 17-year-old city girl was reportedly robbed by an Elizabeth teen who claimed he was selling an iPhone.

Police said the girl met up with the 15-year-old boy April 15 on East Henry Street after he had advertised the phone for sale on Facebook.

But it was a scam: The Elizabeth teen grabbed $140 from the girl and pushed her out of a car as it drove away, police said. She suffered minor injuries.

The thief was later identified and arrested at school and taken to the Union County Juvenile Detention Facility. He was charged with with second-degree robbery

Capt. James Sarnicki, a Linden police spokesman, said the department decided to create a safe zone in part because of this incident.

The exact location of the zone has not yet been determined, but Sarnicki said it will be under 24-hour video surveillance "with the hope that it deters any criminal activity from occurring."

Such zones usually are in a lobby or parking lot of a municipal building or police headquarters. New Jersey towns with zones like this include Robbinsville, Woodland Park, Bordentown, Hillsdale, Chester Borough, Paulsboro, Cherry Hill, Denville and West Orange.

Residents can call their local police headquarters to ask whether they can make an exchange there.

When an official safe zone is not available, authorities suggest that people never go alone to meet a seller or buyer, never go to a home, and insist on meeting in a busy public place like a coffee shop.

Sergio Bichao is deputy digital editor at New Jersey 101.5. Send him news tips: Call 609-438-1015 or email sergio.bichao@townsquaremedia.com.