According to Paramus Police Chief Robert Guidetti, Sgt. Sean Nutland noticed a stolen 2017 white Mercedes-Benz heading north on Route 17 near Ridgewood Avenue around 2:50 a.m. Upon verifying that the vehicle had been reported stolen from Kearny, the driver swiftly made a U-turn onto Route 17 South at Linwood Avenue and tried to escape from the pursuing officers at excessive speeds.
Officer Cesar Hurtado assumed control of the pursuit as the vehicle proceeded onto the Garden State Parkway South. At around mile marker 154, the driver purposely collided with two Paramus police vehicles, leading the officers to utilize pursuit intervention techniques in order to bring the vehicle to a stop, according to Guidetti.
When the SUV came to a halt, all five people inside quickly escaped on foot. Officers Cesar Hurtado and Ryan Cottrell pursued three individuals who leaped over a guardrail and disappeared into a wooded area. They successfully apprehended Zi-Yahna Howard, a 19-year-old resident of Newark. Officers Michael Mordaga and Frank Licari managed to capture Jason Thomas, also 19 years old, and the 17-year-old driver near the abandoned vehicle. Simultaneously, the New Jersey State Police located and apprehended two underage male passengers, aged 16 and 14, close to Garden State Parkway Exit 154.
Five individuals are facing charges.
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- Zi-Yahna Howard, 19, Newark: Receiving stolen property, use of a juvenile in the commission of a crime, resisting arrest.
- Jason Thomas, 19, Newark: Receiving stolen property, use of a juvenile in the commission of a crime, resisting arrest.
- Juvenile Driver, 17, Newark: Receiving stolen property, eluding, aggravated assault.
- Juvenile Passenger, 16, Newark: Joyriding, resisting arrest by flight.
- Juvenile Passenger, 14, Newark: Joyriding, resisting arrest by flight.
The authorities sent the two adults to the Bergen County Jail, while the juvenile suspects were placed in the Juvenile Detention Center.
The Paramus Police Department expressed their gratitude to the New Jersey State Police for their assistance in the incident, which resulted in no injuries to any officers. They also reiterated their dedication to ensuring the safety of the community.
