Suspected Burglar Crashes Car On Route 17 Following Police Chase
ENGLEWOOD, N.J. (CBSNewYork) - An alleged copper thief is under arrest after leading police on a high-speed chase that ended in a crash on Route 17 on Monday, authorities said.
A concerned neighbor spotted two men in a vacant home at around noon on Cross Street in Englewood and called authorities, police said.
When officers arrived on the scene, they arrested one suspected burglar. Another drove off, leading cops on the chase, police said.
Police from Fort Lee joined in the pursuit, authorities said.
Eventually cops used a cruiser to smash the suspect's getaway car into the median.
However, instead of surrendering, the man took off running, said witness Alex DeFranco, who added that the suspect appeared to be in his 20s.
"As soon as it crashed, he jumped over the median to that side," DeFranco told CBS 2's Matt Kozar.
"He had a good lead on them actually, and then once he hit that fence, it was all over."
DeFranco said the suspect tried to hop the 8-foot fence, but could not climb it. He then took off running toward a piano store, the witness said.
That's where his luck ran out.
The pursuit ended with police tackling the suspect near a strip mall on Route 17 in Paramus, police said.
Frank Badan, who works nearby, recorded the arrest on his cellphone.
"Very uncommon," Badan said. "This is Bergen County. This is not a high-crime area.
"Thanks for the cops," he added. "They got the bad guy."
The men were allegedly stealing copper from the vacant home, Kozar reported.
"People have targeted these," said Bilal Wilson, who lives in the area. "These homes have been vacant going on two years now."
No one was injured in the chase, authorities said. A police cruiser was badly damaged and had to be towed away.
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