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When police responded to a vehicle crash at 900 Mountain Ave., William Richards of Bayville told them his vehicle had been carjacked earlier in Newark and driven to Berkeley Heights, where the carjacker crashed, the department said. Richards also told police the man had a gun and had fled into nearby woods.
Berkeley police, Union County Sheriff's K-9 officers, A State Police helicopter as well as officers from New Providence, Watchung and Warren all assisted in a search for the suspect.
But the search was cancelled when Berkeley Heights detectives noticed inconsistencies in Richards' account, which led them to conclude there had been no carjacking, the department said.
Richards now faces charges of filing a false police report and causing a false public alarm. He was also issued summonses for several motor-vehicle violations.
He was being held at the Union County jail pending an initial court appearance.
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