EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — A Newark man was arrested after fleeing a stolen vehicle on foot and burglarizing a resident's car before being caught following a foot pursuit, East Brunswick police said.
Officers responded to the area of Route 18 South and Eggers Street around 2:43 p.m. on Sept. 13 for a report of a disabled motor vehicle, according to police. Good Samaritans had already helped the vehicle's operator to a safe location off the road before officers arrived, but the driver fled on foot as soon as officers got there, police said.
Multiple officers searched the area. Investigators contacted the vehicle's registered owner, who confirmed it had been stolen, police said.
A short time later, a resident on University Road near the initial scene flagged down an officer and reported that a man matching the suspect's description had entered a vehicle parked in the resident's driveway, police said. When confronted, the suspect fled after taking currency from the vehicle's center console, police said.
Officers located a man matching the suspect's description walking behind the Lake Avenue Apartments. He refused commands to stop and fled eastbound on foot toward Renee Road before officers caught up with him following a brief pursuit and took him into custody, police said.
Police identified the man as Veelique Farrior-Harris, 23, of Newark.
Farrior-Harris was charged with unlawful taking of a means of conveyance, obstructing administration of law, resisting arrest by flight, and burglary, according to police. He was also found to have active warrants from the Bergen County Sheriff's Office, Irvington Municipal Court and Newark Municipal Court.
East Brunswick Police Chief Frank LoSacco commended the officers' response to incident. "This incident demonstrates the persistence and coordinated response of our officers. What began as a call for a disabled vehicle quickly developed into an investigation involving a stolen vehicle, an additional crime against one of our residents, and a fleeing suspect," LoSacco said.
"Our officers worked together to quickly locate and apprehend the suspect while protecting the surrounding community. I commend everyone involved for their professionalism and determination."
Farrior-Harris is lodged in the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Facility.
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