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Sgt. Paul Connelly was on patrol shortly after 11:30 p.m. Wednesday when he spotted the 2022 Audi Q3 on Truman Drive, Detective Sgt. John Birnie said.
The driver hit the gas and sped off as he approached, the sergeant said.
Connelly followed the vehicle before the driver, unfamiliar with the neighborhood, turned down tiny, dead-ended North Pond Road, he said.
The driver quickly surrendered while an undetermined number of passengers bolted.
Officers Shawn Cole and Michael Stevens quickly established a perimeter with the help of colleagues from neighboring Northern Valley towns and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, Birnie said.
About a half hour later, Sheriff’s Officer Wayne DeSmet found the passenger on Hillside Avenue and took him into custody without incident, the sergeant said.
Police issued delinquency complaints to both teens and released them to guardians.
Meanwhile, the sheriff’s Bureau of Criminal Identification collected evidence from the Audi – which had been reported stolen out of Somerville -- in an attempt to identify other suspects, Birnie said.
Thieves are prowling North Jersey streets in unprecedented numbers, stealing unlocked vehicles or items left inside of them, authorities say. And police alone can't stem the tide. READ MORE....
With daylight thefts increasing, the sergeant reminded owners to lock their vehicles and take their keys or fobs no matter where or for how long they park.
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