Car Burglary Suspects Elude Cops In Chase Near I-80, Route 46

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A pair of suspected car burglars managed to elude police officers during a vehicle chase near Interstate 80 and Route 46 last week, authorities said.

According to the Fairfield Police Department, officers responded to a John Street home at 1:38 a.m. on Jan. 24 after a “suspicious incident” was captured on a resident’s Ring doorbell camera.

The resident told officers that a small, gray SUV can be seen on video at 12:17 a.m. on the street in front of his home. A man in tan-colored pants and a blue sweatshirt exited the front passenger door of the vehicle and ran up the driveway. There, he tried to open all of the doors to the cars parked in the driveway. When the man saw the cars were all locked, he got back in the SUV and it drove away, police said.

As the Fairfield officer was gathering information about the incident, a gray, 2019 Toyota RAV4 with New Jersey license plate #R80-LHZ passed through the area. When resident identified the car as the vehicle in the Ring video, the officer got into his car and pursued the RAV4 and its two occupants onto Sand Road.

The SUV – which was reportedly involved in an earlier carjacking in Bloomfield – sped onto I-80 and then entered onto Route 46 east, police said.

“Based upon the risk being created to the public, the officers discontinued the pursuit and the vehicle escaped apprehension,” Fairfield police stated.

Fairfield police said the suspects may have been involved in a series of vehicle burglaries and attempted burglaries that took place that morning on Glenroy Road South, Shaw Court, Francavilla Drive, Phillip Court and John Street.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com