A Chester man accused of creating a frightening and dangerous incident, while attempting to steal a vehicle with an elderly woman inside, has now been arrested for second degree robbery.

Village of Chester police say Edward Keegan, 34, entered a vehicle that wasn’t his Friday morning, just before noon, at the Chester Mall on Brookside Avenue.

According to the victims' relative, an 82-year-old woman was inside the vehicle during Keegan’s initial attempts to steal it and a frightening, violent ordeal ensued when the woman, and her daughter, attempted to intervene.

“He wouldn’t let her out of the car as she was screaming, ‘Let me out!’ My sister jumped in front of her car and stayed there screaming and banging to give my mom time to try to get out as he was punching my 82-year-old mother in the leg and grabbing her arm,” wrote Gina Migliore on Facebook.

Migliore says the incident unfolded outside of a Chinese restaurant near ShopRite.

The woman was eventually able to escape, and Keegan allegedly drove off, crashing the vehicle on Route 17, near exit 129. He was taken into police custody and initially charged with grand larceny, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, harassment, reckless endangerment, and issued several traffic tickets. Police say the charges did not allow for an immediate arraignment under New York bail reform, and Keegan was processed and released on an appearance ticket.

The incident garnered significant social media attention over the weekend and on Monday, with the assistance of the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, police say Keegan was arrested at his home on a warrant for robbery.

As of Tuesday morning, he remains in Orange County Jail.

News 12 reached out to Migliore but has not heard back.