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Among the items taken with little effort were cash, checks, cellular phones, a purse, power tools and a tablet, they said.
Officers were responding to a report of a vehicle burglary on Clinton Avenue when they spotted Mauricio Mejia, 18, of Clifton and Christian Martinez, 19, of Passaic, Detective Lt. Robert Bracken said.
Seeing police, both ran behind a nearby commercial building, Bracken said.
The officers quickly found and grabbed them, he said.
Mejia and Martinez were charged with several counts of burglary and theft and released pending hearings.
Bracken, meanwhile, warned vehicle owners not to become victims.
“We cannot stress enough the importance of ensuring that your vehicles are secured at ALL times,” he said.
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