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Officer Slavko Bajovic spotted the stolen muscle car on southbound Route 17 after hearing an alert that it was involved in an attempted vehicle theft in Ridgewood shortly after 3 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, Paramus Police Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg said.
Bajovic tried to stop the Challenger after a computer check showed that it had been reported stolen out of Old Bridge, the chief said.
The driver refused to stop, however, and continued down Route 17 onto eastbound Route 4, he said.
Officer Michael Cleary joined the pursuit, which eventually made its way to Jones Road in Englewood at speeds that responders said exceeded 100 miles an hour.
The Paramus officers pulled back at that point, concerned for the safety of civilians.
The Challenger continued on before crashing at the Sheffield Gardens apartments at South Dean Street and Sheffield Avenue.
All five occupants were seized and brought to Paramus police headquarters, Ehrenberg said. None apparently were injured.
The chief identified them as Adrienne Hall, 52, of East Orange -- who was charged with hindering -- and three much younger Newark men.
The driver, Tahir Littles, 19, was charged with eluding police and possession of stolen property.
Charged with joyriding were Akim Goodson, 21, Michael Jones, 20, and Xavier Granger, 19.
Granger was also charged with hindering and Jones with illegal possession of a knife.
All were released under New Jersey's bail reform law.
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