From left: Karif Ford, Kevin Roberts, Hanif Thompson and Basim Henry.

By Ted Sherman and James Queally/The Star-Ledger

NEWARK — Nearly a week after 30-year-old Hoboken lawyer Dustin Friedland was gunned down in a deadly carjacking while returning to his vehicle in an upper level parking deck of the Mall at Short Hills, police this morning arrested four men on charges of murder.

The four were identified as Karif Ford, 31, Basim Henry, 32, Kevin Roberts, 35, all of Newark, and Hanif Thompson, 29, of Irvington. All were being held at the Essex County Correctional Facility on $2 million bail each.

Thompson was taken into custody at his home in Irvington. Ford and Roberts were arrested in Newark. Henry was arrested by an FBI task force at a hotel in Easton, Pa., said Anthony Ambrose, chief of detectives for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office. He said the arrests began about 9 p.m. Friday and concluded today about 3 a.m.

Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray, surrounded by representatives of state, federal and county law enforcement agencies that participated in the investigation, said at a press conference this morning announcing the arrests that they were "not here today for any victory dance."



"The sheer senselessness of this case outraged people," Murray said, crediting callers from all over Essex County with providing authorities with tips.

All four men have been charged with murder, felony murder carjacking conspiracy and weapons possession, Murray said.

Murray would not describe the relationship of the four suspects and said the weapon involved has not been recovered. She said the crime was motivated by the vehicle.

"We believe that the four arrived in one vehicle, a Suburban," she said. "Two left in the Suburban and two left in the Range Rover."

She said the Friedland family had been notified of the arrests.

U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said the arrests were the result of "extraordinary police work" that came in the wake of a state-federal task force to battle carjackings in Essex County, which has the highest number of such crimes in New Jersey.

"We have an epidemic of carjackings here," Fishman said. "You shouldn't have to worry that wherever you go, someone will put a gun to your head and take your car."

Friedland was killed Sunday night after he and his wife, Jamie, were exiting the upscale mall in the Short Hills section of Millburn after an evening of holiday shopping. Police said they were headed back to their parked 2012 silver Range Rover just after the mall closed at 9 p.m. when they were confronted by at least two assailants who demanded the SUV.

Friedland had opened the door for his wife and was walking around to the other side when he got into a scuffle with at least one of the gunmen. He was shot once in the head at close range and taken to Morristown Medical Center where he later died, sources have said.

His wife, who sources say was forced out of the Range Rover at gunpoint, was not injured.

After the shooting, witnesses saw a green sport utility vehicle speeding away from the scene, along with the stolen Range Rover, sources have said. Authorities found the stolen Range Rover Monday morning in Newark, near a vacant, boarded-up home on Renner Avenue.

Friedland's funeral was held on Wednesday in Lakewood.

A $41,000 reward was offered for information leading to the arrests of the carjacking suspects.

Star-Ledger staff writers Eunice Lee and Seth Augenstein contributed to this report



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