Essex County Teens Lead Cops On Chase In Stolen Jeep: Police – Caldwells, NJ Patch

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Police arrested a pair of Essex County teens last weekend after they led officers on a car chase in a stolen Jeep, authorities said.

According to the Verona Police Department, the chase took place around 2 a.m. on Sunday, when an officer on patrol spotted a person in a mask and gloves walking near two parked vehicles.

When the officer turned his patrol car to investigate further, the vehicles – a Jeep Grand Cherokee and a Toyota Rav4 – sped away from the area, police said.

Both cars were later discovered to have been stolen: the Jeep out of Caldwell and the Toyota out of Holmdel, police said.

Another officer briefly pursued the Toyota Rav4 before breaking off the chase to help apprehend the occupants of the Jeep, authorities stated.

Police followed the Jeep Cherokee, which traveled “recklessly” across Bloomfield Avenue onto Pine Street. The driver continued east on Pine Street, lost control when turning onto Fairview Avenue and struck a traffic light stanchion, disabling the vehicle, authorities said.

The light stanchion then fell on the hood of the pursuing police car, breaking the windshield and causing other damage, authorities said.

Police took the Jeep’s driver, a 16-year-old male, into custody at the scene of the crash. However, the passenger, a 15-year-old female, fled the scene on foot.

Officers from Essex Fells, North Caldwell, Fairfield and Cedar Grove responded to the scene. A short time later, Fairfield officers found the female suspect in a backyard on Orchard Street, police said.

Verona police transported both juveniles to headquarters for processing. While at headquarters, the female teen became “combative” and spit into an officer’s face, kicked at multiple officers and caused property damage, authorities said.

Police charged the female juvenile with resisting arrest, drug possession, aggravated assault, throwing bodily fluids at a law enforcement officer and criminal mischief.

Police charged the male juvenile with possession of stolen property, eluding and multiple motor vehicle offenses.

Both were transported to the Essex County Juvenile Detention Center, police said.

The Verona officer who was spit on received a post-exposure medical evaluation at Mountainside Hospital, authorities said.

It was later discovered that the Jeep Cherokee was left unlocked with the keys inside, police said.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com