Police Car Chase Starts Near Rt. 46, Ends Near Rt. 23

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Police arrested two people in Essex County earlier this week after they led officers on a car chase in a stolen vehicle, authorities said.

According to the Fairfield Police Department, a Donna Drive resident woke up when she heard her husband’s car running in their driveway around 2:20 a.m. on Monday. When her husband went outside to investigate, two sedans in the area quickly drove away.

Shortly afterwards, Fairfield officers saw a silver Lexus traveling on Plymouth Street towards Rt. 46 that matched the description of one of the cars. They stopped the Lexus – which didn’t have its taillights illuminated – as it reached the highway.

When officers approached the Lexus, it sped away. The officers picked up the chase, discovering that the car was reported as a stolen vehicle.

The Lexus crossed over the Wayne border onto Rt. 23 near Fairfield Road. The driver and a passenger got out of the car and fled the scene on foot, prompting a search from police in Fairfield, Wayne, Totowa, North Caldwell and Little Falls. In addition, a K-9 unit from the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department and a helicopter from the New Jersey State Police also assisted in the search, but the suspects were not located, authorities said.

However, the next day around 7 a.m., an off-duty cop saw two people on Rt. 23 that fit the suspects’ descriptions. He notified the Wayne Police Department, and eventually, both individuals were taken into custody.

A Fairfield police officer later identified the two suspects - Shakur Hawkins, 19, of Newark, and an unnamed juvenile – as the people he saw the previous night in the stolen Lexus.

Authorities charged Hawkins and the juvenile with receiving stolen property and obstruction.

In addition, Hawkins was wanted on an outstanding warrant by the Essex County Sheriff’s Office. He was turned over to their custody, Fairfield police said.

The juvenile was released to the custody of a parent, police stated.

As officers continued with their investigation, they determined at least three other vehicles in the area were burglarized and a 2011 silver Honda Accord was stolen from another Donna Drive residence.

Police also found several pieces of identification linked to vehicle burglaries in Belleville in the stolen Lexus, authorities said.

The case is under investigation, Fairfield police stated.

Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com