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Officer Daniel Hargrave tried to stop the Jeep on westbound Homans Avenue before dawn Thursday, but the driver kept going, Detective Sgt. Vincent Aiello said.
Moments later, the vehicle – which has been reported stolen out of Glen Ridge -- stopped on the railroad tracks near Closter Dock Road and Herbert Avenue and the occupants hopped out, Aiello said.
All vanished except for one – identified as Omar M. Deas, 19 of East Orange.
Police found him after a homeowner called to say a strange man was on the porch, the sergeant said.
They took him to the Bergen County Jail, where he remained held Friday on charges of resisting arrest and receiving stolen property.
Residents later reported two other vehicles stolen out of Closter and one each out of Norwood and Demarest – all apparently by the crew that was in the Jeep, Aiello said.
Closter police, working with their colleagues in other towns, were “in the process of identifying the other suspects involved and locating the stolen motor vehicles,” he said.
Aiello urged all Northern Valley-area residents to always lock their cars – even in their driveways -- and never leave the key fobs inside.
"These suspects will continue to come to the Northern Valley during the overnight hours, looking for cars to steal, as long as residents keep leaving their key fobs in their cars,” the sergeant said.
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