Fun drive
This morning I was driving South on Route 303 when four police cars passed me going North. They were driving very fast. A few seconds later, a Black Crysler 300C passed me at over 100 miles per hour. He disappeared over the rise just North of Oak Tree Road. I knew that if anything was in the intersection when he got there it would be a big mess - there was no way he would be able to stop in time.
A moment later, I heard sirens, and saw about 40 police cars in my rear view mirror. I pulled over, and they all raced by. After the last one went by, I continued down to Oak Tree Road. The Crysler was no where to be seen, but there was quite a bit of congestion, what with all the police cars being there. Most turned right on Oark Tree. As I was turning left, a Corvette Police car went zooming by.
In the end, they caught the guy in Fort Lee, NJ. UPDATE: Here's the final article from the Journal News:
NANUET ? A Bronx man accused of buying a $52,300 Chrysler with a phony name and forged financial documents led officers on a 30-mile chase through Clarkstown and Orangetown and into New Jersey yesterday, police said.
The 24-minute chase ended when, police said, Alexis Santiago crashed the new Chrysler 300 into a Fort Lee police car near the George Washington Bridge.
Santiago, 35, is accused of trying to run down at least two police officers, including a Clarkstown officer in the parking lot of a Chrysler dealership at 60 Route 304, police said.
Among nine charges in New Jersey, Santiago faces an attempted murder count, accused of trying to run down a Teaneck, N.J., police officer, police said.
"Due to the fact two officers were almost killed, we had the right to chase the vehicle," Fort Lee Police Chief Thomas Ripoli said during an afternoon news conference at his police station.
"The car became a weapon," Ripoli said.
The chase started at 9:15 a.m. when Clarkstown police and a state Department of Motor Vehicles inspector attempted to arrest the driver of a black, four-door Chrysler 300 in the dealership's parking lot.
A man using the name of "Tirso Tavarez" of the Bronx obtained a dealership loan of $52,300 on May 6 to buy the car, Clarkstown Detective Sgt. Bernard Cummings said yesterday. A state DMV investigator determined that the buyer wasn't Tavarez and on Friday told the dealership and police. The investigator noticed "Tavarez" had given the dealership a phony driver's license, Cummings said.
The buyer was to return to the dealership yesterday morning for his car registration.
"We were sitting there waiting for him to show up," Clarkstown Detective Gerard King said. "We had him boxed in at the Chrysler dealership. He decided he didn't want to surrender."
In escaping, the driver nearly ran down Sgt. Gerald O'Connor, forcing the officer to jump out of the way as the Chrysler came at him and dented a police car, police said.
Clarkstown officers chased the Chrysler south on Route 304 but called off the pursuit.
"We felt that for a stolen car, there was no reason to put the public in danger with a high-speed pursuit," King said.
With the incident broadcast on police radio, Orangetown police picked up the chase on Route 304, but also stopped for safety reasons.
The chase continued with New Jersey officers in Closter, Teaneck, Hackensack and, finally, Fort Lee. The driver tried to fool police by pretending he went over the George Washington Bridge, said Ripoli, the Fort Lee police chief.
"He tried to outmaneuver everyone," Ripoli said. "At one point, some thought he crossed he bridge. He tried to hide and came back around into Fort Lee."
A Fort Lee officer picked up his trail, and the driver crashed into a police cruiser at Lemoine Avenue at 9:39 a.m., Ripoli said.
"We boxed him in, and he hit one of our vehicles," he said. "We heard he was coming, and our officers were prepared as best as possible."
Neither the officer nor Santiago was injured in the crash. He was arrested after a short struggle, police said.
Santiago was being held without bail in the Bergen County jail in Hackensack, pending hearings in Bergen County Superior Court.
Besides the New Jersey charges, Santiago faces a fugitive-from-justice warrant from New York City on a gun-possession charge, police said. Clarkstown police and the Rockland County District Attorney's Office have not filed charges. Cummings said the charges could include grand larceny, identity theft and assault in connection with trying to run down an officer.
The charges
Charges against Alexis Santiago, 35, of 643 Beach St., the Bronx:
In Teaneck: Attempted murder, resisting arrest, eluding and aggravated assault.
In Fort Lee: Aggravated assault, eluding, hindering apprehension, receiving stolen property, resisting arrest and a fugitive-from-justice warrant out of New York City on a felony weapon-possession count.
In Clarkstown: Police are preparing felony charges for grand jury consideration that could include first-degree grand larceny, second-degree forgery, first-degree identity theft and first-degree attempted assault.
Quite the morning!
A moment later, I heard sirens, and saw about 40 police cars in my rear view mirror. I pulled over, and they all raced by. After the last one went by, I continued down to Oak Tree Road. The Crysler was no where to be seen, but there was quite a bit of congestion, what with all the police cars being there. Most turned right on Oark Tree. As I was turning left, a Corvette Police car went zooming by.
In the end, they caught the guy in Fort Lee, NJ. UPDATE: Here's the final article from the Journal News:
NANUET ? A Bronx man accused of buying a $52,300 Chrysler with a phony name and forged financial documents led officers on a 30-mile chase through Clarkstown and Orangetown and into New Jersey yesterday, police said.
The 24-minute chase ended when, police said, Alexis Santiago crashed the new Chrysler 300 into a Fort Lee police car near the George Washington Bridge.
Santiago, 35, is accused of trying to run down at least two police officers, including a Clarkstown officer in the parking lot of a Chrysler dealership at 60 Route 304, police said.
Among nine charges in New Jersey, Santiago faces an attempted murder count, accused of trying to run down a Teaneck, N.J., police officer, police said.
"Due to the fact two officers were almost killed, we had the right to chase the vehicle," Fort Lee Police Chief Thomas Ripoli said during an afternoon news conference at his police station.
"The car became a weapon," Ripoli said.
The chase started at 9:15 a.m. when Clarkstown police and a state Department of Motor Vehicles inspector attempted to arrest the driver of a black, four-door Chrysler 300 in the dealership's parking lot.
A man using the name of "Tirso Tavarez" of the Bronx obtained a dealership loan of $52,300 on May 6 to buy the car, Clarkstown Detective Sgt. Bernard Cummings said yesterday. A state DMV investigator determined that the buyer wasn't Tavarez and on Friday told the dealership and police. The investigator noticed "Tavarez" had given the dealership a phony driver's license, Cummings said.
The buyer was to return to the dealership yesterday morning for his car registration.
"We were sitting there waiting for him to show up," Clarkstown Detective Gerard King said. "We had him boxed in at the Chrysler dealership. He decided he didn't want to surrender."
In escaping, the driver nearly ran down Sgt. Gerald O'Connor, forcing the officer to jump out of the way as the Chrysler came at him and dented a police car, police said.
Clarkstown officers chased the Chrysler south on Route 304 but called off the pursuit.
"We felt that for a stolen car, there was no reason to put the public in danger with a high-speed pursuit," King said.
With the incident broadcast on police radio, Orangetown police picked up the chase on Route 304, but also stopped for safety reasons.
The chase continued with New Jersey officers in Closter, Teaneck, Hackensack and, finally, Fort Lee. The driver tried to fool police by pretending he went over the George Washington Bridge, said Ripoli, the Fort Lee police chief.
"He tried to outmaneuver everyone," Ripoli said. "At one point, some thought he crossed he bridge. He tried to hide and came back around into Fort Lee."
A Fort Lee officer picked up his trail, and the driver crashed into a police cruiser at Lemoine Avenue at 9:39 a.m., Ripoli said.
"We boxed him in, and he hit one of our vehicles," he said. "We heard he was coming, and our officers were prepared as best as possible."
Neither the officer nor Santiago was injured in the crash. He was arrested after a short struggle, police said.
Santiago was being held without bail in the Bergen County jail in Hackensack, pending hearings in Bergen County Superior Court.
Besides the New Jersey charges, Santiago faces a fugitive-from-justice warrant from New York City on a gun-possession charge, police said. Clarkstown police and the Rockland County District Attorney's Office have not filed charges. Cummings said the charges could include grand larceny, identity theft and assault in connection with trying to run down an officer.
The charges
Charges against Alexis Santiago, 35, of 643 Beach St., the Bronx:
In Teaneck: Attempted murder, resisting arrest, eluding and aggravated assault.
In Fort Lee: Aggravated assault, eluding, hindering apprehension, receiving stolen property, resisting arrest and a fugitive-from-justice warrant out of New York City on a felony weapon-possession count.
In Clarkstown: Police are preparing felony charges for grand jury consideration that could include first-degree grand larceny, second-degree forgery, first-degree identity theft and first-degree attempted assault.
Quite the morning!