5 Busted Following Police Chase, Crash For Stealing $25K In Electronics

UNION, NJ — Five alleged thieves were arrested after one of the two cars took police on a chase before crashing into a wall on Interstate 78, Union Township Police reported.

Union Township Police Detective Anthony Lagoa was working off-duty security in the parking lot of Whole Foods, 2245 Springfield Ave. in the Vauxhall section of town when he saw people coming and going to two cars in the lot about 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 27.

The people were reportedly transferring backpacks amongst each other and locking them in the car trunks. The cars left and the Street Crimes Unit Officers Chris Lensi and John Oliveira stopped one on Vauxhall Road.

However, as officers started to walk up to the car, the driver drove away and fled onto Route 78 East. Police chased the car but stopped shortly afterwards.

That car was later found crashed into a wall near the Garden State Parkway, police reported.

The driver then got out of his car and allegedly started to run away. Police caught up to him and he struggled with the officers, who were able to arrest him.

Union Township Officer Carthaniel Crum saw another man running across the highway, but could not cross over all the lanes of traffic.

Sergeant Walt Stinner was able to get to the other side of the highway and arrest the man.

While this was going on, Detective Lagoa with help from Officers Adedji Akere and Edgar Jiminez stopped the other car. The officers found a small amount of marijuana and arrested three people in this car.

Found in both cars were new Apple products, such as laptops. An investigation later determined that many of these items were stolen from the Vauxhall Best Buy. The stolen items in the car were recovered and were later returned to the store manager.

The men were allegedly going into the store and stealing laptop bags and the laptops. The repeated trips to the parked cars were to drop off the stolen items. In total, close to $25,000 worth of computer items was recovered, including laptops from a Best Buy in Jersey City, according to Detective Lagoa’s investigation.

It appears some of the arrested men broke into the storage room in the Jersey City store and stole items from there.

Those arrested were identified as:

1. Pierre Kurt, age 30, from Jamaica NY—bail $10,000: He was the driver of the car that eluded the officers. He was charged with shoplifting, eluding, resisting arrest, and obstruction of the law. He also received motor vehicle summons for his driving actions.
2. Eliyah Thomas, age 25, from Brooklyn, NY—bail $10,000: He was charged with shoplifting, resisting arrest and obstruction of the law by running away on Rt. 78.
3. Jason Pollard, age 32, from Brooklyn, NY—bail $10,000: He was charged with shoplifting, possession of a weapon (a prohibited knife in his waistband), and possession of marijuana. He also had a warrant for his arrest from Mt. Laurel.
4. Andrea Dandrade, age 27, from Brooklyn, NY—bail $10,000: She was charged with possession of marijuana that was in the car.
5. Shawn Noel, age 37, from Brooklyn, NY—released on a summons: He was charged with possession of marijuana and shoplifting.

The cars used were both rental cars. The car that crashed had a lot of damage with air bag deployment. They were both towed and taken to the police impound lot.

All of those involved were being held at the Union Police Department pending transfer to the Union County Jail.

These crimes are being investigated by Detective Lagoa. If anyone has any information on these crimes, call Detective Lagoa at 908-851- 5030.

(Image via Shutterstock)

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