A New Jersey man has been arrested and connected to a windshield-smashing spree that happened in late April. Allegedly, he cracked and otherwise damaged the windshields of nearly 70 cars in six towns across the state in six days. According to investigators, he resorted to brick pavers to do the damage. He simply tossed them out of his window while driving by.
Cranford police, who led the case, say similar reports came in from neighboring departments at the same time. The suspect was driving slowly through apartment complex lots and residential streets in the early-morning hours, tossing the pavers out of his window. They cracked the windshields as they landed.
The arrest closes one piece of a multi-agency investigation that drew on detectives from at least five departments. It doesn’t appear to close everything about the suspect’s history with law enforcement, however. There are still plenty of questions about what caused this incident, though.
According to a Pennsylvania police account, the same man had previously led officers in that state on a 26-mile high-speed chase before fleeing into the woods on foot last year. He has a history of odd behavior like this. But nothing that would explain the decision to shatter windshields on innocent bystanders’ vehicles.
What Police Say Happened
Cranford police began receiving reports of shattered windshields during overnight hours in early April, the department said. Around the same time, similar incidents were reported in Linden, Rahway, Hillside, Woodbridge and Edison, across Union and Middlesex counties.
In all, approximately 67 incidents were reported between April 1 and April 6 across the six municipalities. Video reviewed during the investigation showed someone driving slowly and tossing pavers out the window of a gray Nissan Rogue, according to NJ 101.5. More than two dozen vehicles were damaged in apartment complex parking lots in Cranford, Edison and Linden during the early-morning hours of April 6 alone.
Through a joint investigation involving detectives from Cranford, Rahway, Hillside, Woodbridge and Edison, police identified the suspect as 24-year-old Mohamed K. Abdelaal, of the Iselin section of Woodbridge. He was arrested on Wednesday, May 20, and charged with multiple counts of criminal mischief. He is being held at the Union County jail. No attorney or court date is listed in court records.
What Else Is Known About the Suspect
According to Pocono Township (Pa.) police, Abdelaal was arrested in March 2025 after leading officers on a 26-mile high-speed pursuit that began with a 1:30 a.m. traffic stop attempt on March 21. The vehicle owner had an outstanding Union County warrant for fleeing and eluding police.
Abdelaal eventually ran into the woods on foot, and officers searched with a drone and K-9 units before finding a blood trail and notifying nearby hospitals. He arrived at a hospital around 10:30 a.m. and was taken into custody after treatment. A search of his vehicle, police said, turned up narcotics and a stolen New Jersey registration plate.