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ONLY ON The PILOT: A police officer’s son made his dad proud when he summoned help after spotting a group of teens testing car door handles in the middle of the night.
Of 39 handles flipped in one evening, seven doors opened, yielding about $15 in cash, some loose change and a woman’s pursue, said Cliffside Park Detective Capt. Michael Russo.
Russo said the 17-year-old witness — whose name and hometown he wouldn’t disclose — spotted four youths, each carrying backpacks, trying door handles after 2 a.m. over the weekend.
“What are you doing?” the teen shouted, and they took off.
After calling the Cliffside Park police desk, the good Samaritan followed the youths and flagged down a borough patrol car. Cliffside police snatched two of the suspects, while their counterparts from Fort Lee and Ridgefield brabbed one each, the captain said.
All four are from Guttenberg and range from 14 to 17, Russo said. They were released to their parents pending proceedings in Family Court.
Possible juvenile complaints are also pending in Fort Lee, which has suffered a similar rash of thefts.
The lesson, Russo said: “People should lock their cars. Out of 39 cars, 7 were left open. That’s a high number when you think of it.”
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