Suspect tries to carjack vehicle with mother and child inside in Cliffside Park, New Jersey

CLIFFSIDE PARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- Police are searching for a woman suspected in a brazen attempted carjacking in New Jersey.

In video obtained exclusively by Eyewitness News, the suspect is seen running down Palisade Avenue in Cliffside Park at 9:30 Thursday morning.

Schools in the town were dismissed Thursday afternoon under the watchful eyes of authorities and parents, who were more shaken than usual after receiving some frantic texts from their children.

There was an alleged suspect running around but the trouble was, no one knew what was going on.

"It's terrifying because we know this kind of information and you don't know how safe your children is, it's very terrifying," said Cliffside Park parent Simone Zimbiao.

Police say the suspect, who appears to be a woman, was wearing both a hoodie and a ski mask when she attempted to carjack a mom in her driveway.

Neighbors told us the mom was about to drive her 5-year-old daughter to school when she had the sudden face-off.

"I think she's a brave mom, she did a good job. I'm glad her daughter's ok," said the victim's neighbor, Sybil Ford.

The suspect got into the backseat of the woman's car, according to town spokesperson Bill Maer.

The carjacker was scared off after the woman screamed.

Police are still looking for the suspect caught on surveillance video.

Parents though are still looking for answers as to why the school district never notified them of anything.

"So I got scared, so I keep telling him, tell me anything, anything that happen," said parent Miledy Silva.

The incident happened near School #3, and a shelter in place was ordered for all schools because of the police activity.

Classes were not disrupted, officials said.