Man Leads Police On Route 195 Chase After Alleged Credit Card Fraud

A New York man is facing charges of attempted assault on a police officer, eluding and credit card fraud after he allegedly tried to buy an iPad using a fake driver’s license and fake credit card and then fled Wednesday.

Ernest Jones, 47, of Watkins Street, Brooklyn, is being held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institute in lieu of $300,000 bail set by Municipal Court Judge Susan Schroeder-Clark, Howell Township Detective Sgt. Eileen Dodd said.

Dodd said police were called to the Best Buy on Route 9 near Friendship Road about 3 p.m. Wednesday for a report of a man later identified as Jones purchasing an iPad valued at $500 using a fictitious credit card and a fictitious Ohio driver’s license. The man was seen entering a 2006 Infinity QX56 SUV with a Georgia license plate. The officers who responded tried to stop the car, but it sped up and the driver began driving recklessly southbound on Route 9, she said.

At that point, police stopped trying to pursue the car due to safety concerns, Dodd said.

About 20 minutes later Howell Patrolman Nicholas Bondarew spotted the car headed east on Route 195. When the driver saw the patrol car, he got off Route 195 onto Route 9 south and turned into a residential area, she said. While officers were following the car, the driver tried to run down a police officer, Dodd said, and at that point police began their pursuit again, in marked cars with emergency lights and sirens activated, she said.

Officers followed the car back onto Route 195, this time westbound, until the driver stopped suddenly on 195 in Upper Freehold Township, Dodd said. There Jones was subdued by a Howell Police K9 and arrested. He suffered a minor injury and was treated by Howell Police EMS. No police officers or civilians were injured, she said.

Jones was found in possession of several fictitious credit cards, and Dodd said he is charged with the following:

• Possession/Use of a fraudulent credit card (4 counts)
• Attempting to Elude Police in a motor vehicle (2 counts)
• Attempted assault on a law enforcement officer
• Unlawful possession of a weapon (motor vehicle)
• Several motor vehicle violations

The Howell Police Department was assisted by members of the New Jersey State Police during the pursuit and the arrest, she said.