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Paramus Police Chief Robert Guidetti said the 2020 BMW X7 was reported stolen during a burglary more than 50 miles away in the affluent Monmouth County town of Marlboro.
Officer Nicholas Perna and the driver spotted one another at the same moment shortly before 11:30 p.m. Monday, July 24, the chief said.
At that point, the Newark juvenile hit the gas and headed right for the officer’s cruiser, he said.
Perna quickly turned his wheel – and in doing so avoided serious injury when the teen lost control of the SUV, which hit the police car’s left front side.
The BMW ended up on the lawn of a home on Ehret Street, Guidetti said.
Officer Hugo Rodriguez tackled the fleeing driver, the chief said.
Perna and Officer Timothy Erstling grabbed a rear passenger as he tried to jump a backyard fence, Guidetti said.
Officer Connor Nutland was patrolling the area of Lozier Court and Behnke Avenue when he spotted two other passengers who fled.
A perimeter was established and Bergen County Sheriff’s K-9 Max, and his handler, Sheriff’s Officer Ryan O’Neil, were brought in, the chief said.
One of the two was later found hiding behind a house on Lozier, he said. The other got away.
Police signed delinquency complaints against the 14-year-old driver for aggravated assault, resisting arrest, eluding and possession of stolen property. He was sent to the Juvenile Detention Center in Teterboro to await a closed-door hearing in the Family Part of Superior Court in Hackensack.
A 17-year-old male passenger, also from Newark, was released to a family member after receiving delinquency complaints for resisting arrest and joyriding.
The third suspect, 19-year-old Tamon N. Harris of Bloomfield, was also released after being charged with resisting arrest and joyriding.
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