Foot Chase Leads To Arrest Of Teen With Stolen Van In Cranford

CRANFORD, NJ — Cranford, Westfield and Garwood police came together to track down and arrest a teenager who was found with a stolen van on Sunday night.

Cranford Patrolman Robert Charma was on patrol when he tried to pull over a 2000 Dodge van, which had been stolen out of Bayonne, near the intersection of Orchard Street and Makatom Drive.

As the van was slowing down, the driver, a 17-year-old juvenile from Jersey City, got out of the moving van and ran into the backyards of homes along Brown Terrace, Cranford Police report.

Officers chased after him on foot and a perimeter was set up with the help of the Union County Sheriff's Department and Police K9.

Garwood and Westfield Police later reported spotting a teen on a bicycle matching the description of the juvenile sought, near the intersection of South Avenue and Central Avenue in Westfield.

The juvenile was arrested by Charma for receiving stolen property and eluding.

It was later found that the juvenile also broke into a vehicle on Beech Street while fleeing, and pulled its ignition, but was eventually unable to start it, police report.

The juvenile was processed and released to a parent.

The Cranford Police Juvenile Bureau is continuing its investigation into the matter and expects additional charges of burglary to be served to the juvenile.

"Working together with our neighboring-community police departments we were able to recover a stolen vehicle and prevent further criminal activity this individual had intended to commit," said Cranford Police Chief Ryan Greco.

(Image via Shutterstock)

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