MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The Maplewood Police Department received calls of a female being assault by a male in front of a day care center at 495 Valley St. on Wednesday, Dec. 6, at approximately 8:45 a.m. Upon officers’ arrival, the female victim was located and reported to police that the father of her two children, Kareem Dawson, 30, of Irvington had assaulted her after she had dropped her son off at the center.
According to the victim, as she was attempting to leave the day care center, Dawson followed her to her vehicle and tried to push her across the seat, into the passenger-side seat. The victim told police that she had attempted to defend herself, prompting Dawson to pull her from the vehicle and throw her to the ground. Dawson reportedly then entered his vehicle and fled the scene while the victim ran into the day care for safety.
The victim reported only minor injuries and did not require immediate medical attention. According to the victim and witnesses to the incident, Dawson was in possession of a handgun at the time of the assault.
A witness provided Maplewood police with the registration of the vehicle Dawson was driving and police entered it into the system as a felony vehicle. In an attempt to locate the vehicle and Dawson, a notification was broadcast to surrounding law enforcement agencies. As a result, police were led to believe that Dawson may be in the Iselin area — information that was then relayed to the Woodbridge Police Department.
At approximately 11:45 a.m., Woodbridge police located Dawson as well as the vehicle and took Dawson into custody without incident. According to Maplewood police on Dec. 7, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office authorized the following charges against Dawson: contempt of a court order, simple assault and unlawful possession of a weapon. Following charges being filed, Maplewood police took Dawson to the Essex County Detention Center in Newark.
The investigation is still ongoing at this time.
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