Authorities: 1 Dead, 3 In Custody After Attempted Burglary, Police-Involved Shooting In Paramus
PARAMUS, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- One person is dead and three others are in custody after an attempted burglary Wednesday morning in Paramus led to a police-involved shooting.
It all started at a Jennifer Convertibles furniture store on Route 4 around 4:30 a.m. when two officers responded to a commercial burglary alarm, Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli said.
When the officers arrived, they found a back door pried open and four suspects sitting in a car in the parking lot, Molinelli said.
Authorities: 1 Dead, 3 In Custody After Attempted Burglary, Police-Involved Shooting In Paramus
As one of the officers walked up to the car, the driver hit the gas and struck the officer, sending him flying onto the hood of the car, Molinelli said. As the car sped off, the officer opened fire, shooting the driver, Molinelli said.
The driver then crashed into a traffic divider on the westbound side of Route 4. He then got out of the car and took off on foot before being caught behind Miller's Ale House, Molinelli said.
Authorities said the driver, identified as 20-year-old Miguel Reyes of Manhattan, was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The three other suspects, identified as 25-year-old Nico Vega of the Bronx and 21-year-old Josue Felix and 24-year-old Hector Felix, both of Manhattan, were all taken into custody. Authorities said charges are pending.
There were no serious injuries reported by police officers, WCBS 880's Sean Adams reported.
Authorities: 1 Dead, 3 In Custody After Attempted Burglary, Police-Involved Shooting In Paramus
Charles Donahue came upon the scene across from his job at 24 Hour Fitness around 5 a.m. At first, he thought it was just a bad accident.
"I saw a couple of officers with dogs and they were rerouting us around," he told CBS 2's Andrea Grymes.
Many people nearby wondered what the suspects hoped to accomplish.
"What are they going to steal from these stores over here? Those are furniture stores," Peter Nacario said. "They can't pull a piece of furniture in the car like that."
The westbound lanes of Route 4 were closed for hours while police investigated. By about 10 a.m.. the car was towed away and the road was reopened.
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