Hoboken Cops Chase, Arrest 12 Alleged Bike Thieves

HOBOKEN, NJ — Hoboken police charged 10 juveniles and two adults with offenses including burglary, theft and aggravated assault on Tuesday as part of the department’s ongoing bicycle theft initiative, authorities reported.

According to the Hoboken Police Department, the arrests took place during two separate incidents and involved youth from Bayonne, Jersey City, Linden, Union City, Philadelphia, PA, and the Bronx, NY. Also arrested during the encounters were Jorge Monroy, 21, of West New York, and Jose Gomez, 20, of Union City.

Hoboken officers made the first series of arrests around 11:39 p.m., when they were dispatched to the area of 210 Clinton Street on a report of a group of suspects attempting to steal bicycles from a parking garage. The officers arrived on scene to find several juveniles outside the garage on bicycles, who then attempted to flee the area.

Police managed to apprehend four of the youths, one of whom was in possession of two credit cards that didn’t belong to them and another who had two sets of bolt cutters reportedly used to cut bike chains, authorities said.

During the pursuit, a Hoboken officer suffered minor cuts and abrasions, police said.

3RD AND GARDEN

While checking the area around Clinton Street, Hoboken police found a second group of suspects allegedly attempting to steal bikes at 3rd and Garden Streets.

Officers allegedly saw the youths using bolt cutters to cut a bike chain, then approached the group of suspects and ordered them to stop. Four of the suspects fled the scene while one remained behind, authorities stated.

As a Hoboken officer attempted to stop some of the youths, a struggle broke out and one of the suspects allegedly pushed him into a moving vehicle, causing him minor injuries, police said.

Police eventually apprehended all of the suspects from that incident, authorities stated.

Charges handed down from both incidents included burglary, theft, criminal mischief, possession of burglary tools, possession of a stolen credit card, resisting arrest, aggravated assault, possession of marijuana, employing a juvenile in the commission of a crime and possession of narcotics paraphernalia. In addition, one of the suspects was a fugitive from justice out of Florida wanted for aggravated assault, authorities said.

Hoboken police have warned about an ongoing bike theft issue in the city, and have asked residents to keep bicycles inside their homes or in secured garages.

• See related article: Hoboken Cops See Summer Bike Theft Spike, Issue Advisory

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