The copter spotted a gray Alfa Romeo SUV stolen out of Closter speeding near 16th Avenue and South 13th Street around 9:30 p.m. Friday, city police said in a release.
The car was later seen parked in a driveway at North 6th Street and 12th Avenue. Upon becoming aware of police presence, Rasheed Mells, 23, the driver, got out of the car and ran, police said. He was apprehended at North 11th Street.
Newark Police Director Brian A. O’Hara, who was in the area at the time apprehended the vehicle's passenger, Keshawn K. Creech, 19, of Newark.
Mells faces charges of receiving stolen property, obstruction of the administration of the law and resisting arrest. Creech is charged with taking without the owner’s consent.
“As most stolen cars recovered in Newark were stolen outside the city, it is imperative that drivers everywhere refrain from leaving their vehicles vulnerable to theft,” O’Hara said.
“Driver complacency creates a crime of opportunity that can lead to more serious harm. But it can easily be controlled by drivers acting responsibly and turning their vehicles off and taking the keys with them every single time they exit.”
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