N.J. Teens Accused of Plotting Killings

AP and Yahooooooo!!!!! ^ | 7/7/2003 | GEOFF MULVIHILL

[jjm2111]

OAKLYN, N.J. - An alleged plot by three teenagers to kill their enemies and then target other victims at random unraveled when they tried to carjack a motorist and were arrested, authorities said.

"We could have had a disaster here in Oaklyn," Camden County Prosecutor Vincent Sarubbi said Sunday night after police said they uncovered the trio's cache of guns, knives and swords in this small town near Philadelphia.

Matthew Lovett, 18, was arrested along with two boys, ages 15 and 14, whose names were not released. They were charged with weapons offenses and attempted carjacking. An additional charge of attempted murder was expected to be filed against the trio, authorities said.

Lovett, who is accused of pointing a gun at the police officer who arrested him, also was charged with aggravated assault, Sarubbi said.

Authorities seized two rifles, a shotgun, two handguns, two swords, several knives and 2,000 rounds of ammunition. Additional weapons were found at Lovett's home. Sarubbi said the weapons belonged to Lovett's father and were legal.

A phone message left Sunday night with his father, Ron Lovett, was not returned. In an interview with CNN on Monday, he described his son as a good youngster who became "kind of withdrawn" after his mother died nine years ago.

Lovett, who described himself as a gun collector and target shooter, said his son was never interested in guns. "I don't think he'd know how to use one," he said.

Later in the morning, a family spokesman, Tom Crymes, read a letter from Ron Lovett offering his apology "for what my son has done" and expressing the hope his son would receive counseling.

Sarubbi said the attacks had been planned over the course of several months. The suspects intended to target people at random once they had attacked specific victims, police said.

Sarubbi said three people believed to be intended victims were notified Sunday of the alleged plot. The prosecutor declined to identify them, but police indicated they were students.

Mathew Rich, 34, who reported the carjacking attempt, said he was leaving for work when he saw the three teens, dressed in trench coats and standing in front of Oaklyn Public School.

One crossed the street in front of him, opened his coat to reveal a handgun, then signaled for his friends. Rich said he drove around them, then notified police.

When Rich returned to the area after driving to the police station, he saw the weapons being confiscated.

"These guys were ready for a war," Rich said.

[jjm2111]

Kudos to that guy Rich who kept his head. I could just imagine what was going through that idiot's mind when the guy just drove around them like, "That's not supposed to happen."

NJ's got every dopey gun law imaginable yet, had Rich not been alert as he was, it wouldn't have mattered a whit. Ceasefire NJ is now going to be screaming for MORE restrictions.

It's a good thing no one was hurt.

[jjm2111]

NJ Bang!

[wideawake]

I can't imagine how Mr. Rich had the self-control to drive around rather than over.

[Seamus Mc Gillicuddy]

Can you imagine how the gun control ninnies in S. Jersey would be acting if the driver of the vehicle took out his concealed pistol and dispatched them into kingdom come? OOOPS! We're talking about NJ. Only cops and rich citizens can have concealed firearms. The "little people" aren't to be trusted.

[vetvetdoug]

Ferguson and these kids know where the free for all killing zones are and New York and New Jersey are two of them.

[smiley]

Holy Jumping Jacks! Not only do we citizens have to worry about terrorists, NOW we have to worry about the kids killing us. Cripe sakes.

[jjm2111]

I noticed your tag line. IIRC, Christine Todd Witless promised CCW before her first gubernatorial term and then dropped gun owners like a hot potato.

[teeman8r]

if only mr rich picked the boys up and drove them to the brady center... all would be saved...

jmt, teeman

[Puppage]

What, no mention of Colombine? The media NEVER misses a chance to throw THAT in.

[Seamus Mc Gillicuddy]

Oh, yeah. Columbine. Wasn't that the shooting at the school where two kids had an adult previously purchase their firearms for them? Just think, if we had more gun control laws, the senseless killing of innocents could stop. (sarcasm/off.)

[OhhTee5]

Exact same thing happened to me a few weeks ago.

I was returning late night from work down a normally busy street, but quiet at night and this punk runs out into the street and stands in front of my car, opening his jacket.

In a split second I aimed my car towrds him and scared him out of the way. He also had two accomplices in a parking lot near the curb.

He was really pissed as I drove down the rode. I saw him jumping up and down in the road. I immediately called the police from my cell phone, and gave them details of the event.

Don't know if they ever got them, left my number but never got a call back.

[Seamus Mc Gillicuddy]

I feel bad that I had to vote for that RINO "Christie Todd Witless," but she was the only alternative to Florio. On the other hand, she did create the Howard Stern Rest Stop.

Schundler for Governor!

[SouthParkRepublican]

Just wonderful! I live in NJ and gun ownership is a real pain in the ass already. Why the hell didn’t this guy lock up his friggin guns with an 18yo in the house?

[wideawake]

Ah, the police hard at work.

[jjm2111]

Welcome to FR!

[jjm2111]

Good for you. Cars can be dangerous weapons. Half a ton (or more) of steel barreling at you at 60 mph will not be pretty.

[Seamus Mc Gillicuddy]

It took the city I live in...(Hudson County) eight stinkin' months, just to change the address on my Firearms Identification card. Every time I called in to check on the status, I was given a different answer. They even tried to charge me twice on the NJSP background check! They cared even less when I told them I needed it done by April. As a result, I couldn't finish the purchase on my turkey gun(Reeltree Advantage Finish), and had to use my upland bird gun. Sometimes I wonder if the LEO's are on our side.

[Puppage]

Just think, if we had more gun control laws...

Then they would have broken more than the 18+ guns they already did in the first place.

[jjm2111]

They're supposed to do it in 30 days, but no one enforces that. Do you have to notify the PD when you move even if you don't purchase any more firearms?

Also, what if you have two addresses? Can you keep a firearm at each address?

[Publius]

I grew up in the Bettlewood section of Haddon Township and went to grammar school in Oaklyn. It was a quiet blue collar suburb of Philadelphia and Camden back in the Fifties and Sixties.

"Crime" consisted of bicycle thefts. "Being bad" was stealing cigarettes from the supermarket and smoking them down "the woods" or "the crick", our names for the Camden County Park at Newton Creek. "Girls being bad" was giggling in church.

I would have happily assassinated some of the nuns I had in school -- "God" (slap!) "is" (slap!) "love!" (slap!) -- but this goes way anything I knew when I was growing up.