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Marquis Harris, 34, Newark already had a record of arrests in several counties -- including in each of the previous four years -- when township police responded to a call from the Stop & Shop on Lewandowski Street at 5:15 p.m. Friday, Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said.
He was in the back seat of a silver Honda Civic that was seen fleeing the store when Lt. James Goral quickly pulled it over before nearby Page Avenue, Auteri said.
As Goral approached, Harris bailed and ran, jumping fences, the lieutenant said.
Officer Nicollette Villani joined Goral in chasing Harris in the pouring rain.
Soon after police set a perimeter, Officers Brian Kapp and Vincent Dorio spotted Harris riding a stolen bicycle out of a resident's yard, Auteri said.
Villani and Officer Michael Scalese grabbed him on Schuyler Avenue moments later, he said.
Once at headquarters, Detective William Kapp recognized Harris from two previous incidents at the same store.
Harris is known to authorities, having been arrested several times in New Jersey and New York.
Three years ago, he and two other men led police on a chase that ended in a crash after they stole items from a Home Depot in the Palisades Center Mall in West Nyack.
This time, Auteri said, Harris took $598 worth of merchandise from the same Stop & Shop on June 25, then returned the following day and grabbed another $731 worth. Friday night's haul was worth, $275.
The total reached nearly $2,000 when police added in the value of the stolen Schwinn ($350), which was returned to its owner.
Harris -- who was wanted on $2,300 combined worth of warrants out of Union Township, East Orange and Union County -- remained held Monday in the Bergen County Jail pending a hearing.
He's charged with theft of the bicycle, three counts of shoplifting and eluding.
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