Patrolman Kyle Ust was responding to the burglar alarm at Rustic Exxon just after 2 a.m. when he spotted 35-year-old Karriem A. Hodges of Paterson bolt into nearby woods, Capt. Daniel Morrissey said this morning.
Police from surrounding towns were notified and established a perimeter. Hodges was found under a set of bushes soon after, the captain said.
At the station, police found one car with it its window smashed, from which a jack was removed and placed under a second vehicle in an attempt to steal auto parts, Morrissey said. An electric saw was found nearby, he added.
Police found another car, registered to a Paterson woman, and a wallet belong to the second suspect, Morrissey said. They believe he drove the car, the captain said.
Hodges was being held on $50,000 bail in the Bergen County Jail, charged with vehicle burglary, theft, criminal attempt, hindering apprehension and possession of burglar tools.
MUGSHOT: Courtesy ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS PD
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