Police in New Jersey are searching for the thief who stole a police cruiser early Monday morning.
It started with officers trying to arrest a group of teens as they drove in a stolen vehicle from Jersey City around 2:42 a.m.
Police spotted the stolen 2018 Jeep Wrangler at a Sunoco gas station on Route 3 in Secaucus.
When police attempted to stop the vehicle, it rammed into two occupied Secaucus police vehicles.
One officer suffered a knee injury.
The front seat passenger, a 16-year-old boy, and the driver, a 15-year-old boy ran from the scene and were captured by police.
A third suspect, a rear-seat passenger in the stolen Jeep, entered a marked police vehicle and sped off.
Cops chased after him in their own vehicles through Jersey City, Kearny and Newark, with the suspect allegedly reaching speeds more than 100 miles per hour.
He got away but abandoned the police car in Hillside.
The suspect remains on the run.
"The 15-year-old male driver was just released from the electronic bracelet program last month from previous arrests involving violence and is back committing crimes," Chief Dennis Miller said. "Although they are 15 and 16-year-olds, these juveniles are criminals and their actions bolster my opinion that they will continue to commit crimes without fear of repercussion. It needs to be recognized that our Juvenile Justice System needs to be reformed to hold juveniles accountable or this recidivism will continue. We must acknowledge that not every juvenile can be rehabilitated and must give prosecutors the tools needed to prosecute these criminals or they will continue to plague our communities. I also want to thank all the agencies that assisted us including the Kearny and Hillside Police Departments, New Jersey State Police and the Hudson County Sheriff's Office."
Some homeowners shared with Eyewitness News, doorbell videos of police officers using flashlights and drones to check driveways and yards for the person who stole the police cruiser and dumped it on Bond Street before running off.
The early morning commotion woke up some, while others learned of it only after seeing their footage.
"It's a little scary because my family is here, and we wanted to make sure everybody is ok. Normally, we don't have that kind of issue around here in this area," said a Hillside resident named Chris.
The 15-year-old driver was charged with aggravated assault, possession of a weapon (vehicle) for unlawful purposes, receiving a stolen motor vehicle, criminal mischief, resisting arrest, and conspiracy to commit receiving a stolen vehicle.
He was remanded to the Morris County Youth Detention Facility.
The 16-year-old passenger was charged with receiving a stolen motor vehicle, resisting arrest, and conspiracy to commit receiving a stolen vehicle. He was released to his parents, with a pending appearance in Family Court.
Anyone with additional information can contact the Secaucus Police Detective Division at (201) 330-2052 or detectivedivsion@secaucusnjpolice.gov.
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