Crime & Safety
Christmas Eve Police Chase Starts On Rt. 46, Ends In Essex County
The car chase ended with the arrest of a Livingston man by Verona police in Montclair, authorities said.
VERONA, NJ — A Christmas Eve police chase that spanned several North Jersey towns and Route 46 ended with the arrest of a Livingston man by Verona police in Montclair, authorities said.
According to the Verona Police Department, the chase began during the early morning hours on Monday, when Parsippany police pursued the occupant of a black Nissan – which was wanted for “suspicious activity” – eastbound on Route 46.
Parsippany police eventually ended the chase at the Montville border, the VPD stated.
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A short time later, a Verona police officer on routine patrol found a vehicle and driver that fit the description in the area of Bloomfield Ave and Linn Drive. The officer followed the car in his own vehicle, until the driver allegedly began to travel “erratically” and swerve from lane to lane, authorities said.
When the officer attempted to stop the driver – later identified as Guipps Laguerre, 38, of Livingston – he took off at a “high rate of speed” eastbound on Bloomfield Avenue, police said.
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The Verona officer managed to follow the car until it struck a curb several times and broke down on Bloomfield Avenue at Valley Road in Montclair. Police took Laguerre into custody after a “brief struggle” with officers, authorities said.
Police later found “several open containers of alcohol” inside the Laguerre’s car, authorities stated.
Verona police charged Laguerre with eluding, resisting arrest and nine motor vehicle summonses including driving while intoxicated.
Parsippany police also charged Laguerre with eluding and “several motor vehicle offenses,” Verona Police Chief Christopher Kiernan said.
Kiernan credited the involved officers with “being keenly aware” of suspected criminal activity in nearby towns. “These officers’ tenacious sentinel patrol are a credit to this department,” he said.
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