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Mahwah Police Officer Brian Doolittle was on pro-active patrol in the township’s Scotch Hills area when he spotted the 2023 Honda Civic moving slowly along McIntosh Drive shortly after 2 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10, Capt. Guido Bussinelli said.
An instant license plate check showed the Civic had been reported stolen out of Orange on Sept. 29, Bussinelli said.
Doolittle called for backups and activated his vehicle’s overhead lights, the captain said.
Officer Travis Canning joined him in pursuing the Civic through several side streets in Mahwah and Ramsey, then onto southbound Route 17, he said.
A mechanical issue brought the coupe to an abrupt halt as the driver pulled onto the southbound Parkway, Bussinelli said.
He and his two passengers bailed out and scattered as officers from the Paramus Police Department joined Doolittle, Canning, Lt. Keith Iorio and Officer Joseph Simeone in converging on the area, the captain said.
It didn’t take long for them to corral the one adult in the car, 18-year-old Elijah Harris of Roselle, as well as the driver and second passenger, both juveniles from East Orange, Bussinelli said.
Harris was charged with receiving stolen property, attempted burglary and possession of burglary tools, then was sent to the Bergen County Jail to await a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court.
The Paramus Police Department also charged the suspects with several criminal offenses and motor vehicle violations.
The juveniles were issued delinquency complaints charging them with
receiving stolen property, possession of burglary tools and motor vehicle violations.
The driver was sent to the Bergen County Juvenile Detention Center in Teterboro. The second juvenile was released to a guardian.
Bussinelli thanked Paramus police for their assistance.
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