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The pair – believed to be 13 to 16 years old – wound up leading a chase through several towns in the stolen 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio at speeds of up to 120 miles an hour, responders said.
“These criminals showed complete disregard for their lives, the public’s lives, and officers' lives as they drove at a high rate of speed steering their vehicle head-on towards [the] officer,” Woodcliff Lake Police Lt. Chad Malloy said. “Luckily the officer was able to swerve to avoid a head-on collision.”
The officer was the second to respond to a 12:45 a.m. burglary call on Thursday, Sept. 15, at a home that had also been broken into three weeks ago, Malloy said.
Borough police pursued the Alfa Romeo but pulled back due to safety concerns, the lieutenant said.
Paramus police eventually picked up the chase as the SUV headed south on the Garden State Parkway at super-high speed.
The driver then took Exit 147 to Springdale Avenue, headed southeast to North 9th Street and turned down 1st Street before eventually roaring off on Route 280, responders said.
The Alfa Romeo was later found abandoned in Newark, Malloy said.
“We are utilizing every technology and investigative technique in an attempt to identify these criminals,” the lieutenant said.
Malloy urged citizens to report suspicious people or vehicles in their neighborhoods the instant they spot them. Better to have it be nothing than a crime that could’ve been prevented, he said.
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