Caldwell Police Say Teen Dirt Biker Tried To Lead Them And Other Area Police On Chases

CALDWELL, NJ — The Caldwell police announced Thursday that they had charged a teen with several offenses after putting out word days earlier that they were looking for a suspect in a series of incidents involving dirt bikes.

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Police said that on Wednesday, they arrested and charged Steven Franco, 18, of Caldwell with eluding a police officer with a motor vehicle, disorderly conduct, maintaining a nuisance, reckless driving, and careless driving.

"Franco was the suspect in several incidents in Caldwell and surrounding towns of driving recklessly on a dirt bike attempting to entice patrol officers into a potentially dangerous motor vehicle pursuit," said a release.

"Mr. Franco was arrested without incident on Bloomfield Avenue with the assistance of a retired Caldwell police lieutenant who observed him operating his dirt bike recklessly and recognized him from a previous release," police noted.

Last week, police had told the media that they were seeking a dirt bike rider who had been involved in "incidents" on Route 46 on Thanksgiving.

Franco was released with pending court dates in the Superior Court of Essex County and the Caldwell Municipal Court, said Captain Matthew DeAngelo of the Caldwell Police Department.

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