Police say the 23-year-old fled twice and stole cash from another vehicle before officers caught him
EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ – A routine call about a disabled vehicle on Route 18 unraveled into a stolen-car investigation, a second alleged vehicle burglary and two foot chases before East Brunswick police arrested a 23-year-old Newark man, according to the department.
Officers were dispatched at approximately 2:43 p.m. Sunday to Highway 18 South near Eggers Street for a report of a disabled vehicle.
Before police arrived, Good Samaritans helped the driver move the disabled vehicle to a safer location off the roadway.
Police said the driver immediately ran away when officers arrived.
Investigators contacted the vehicle’s registered owner, who confirmed that it had been stolen, according to the department.
While multiple officers searched the surrounding neighborhood, a University Road resident flagged down an officer and reported another encounter with a man matching the fleeing suspect’s description.
The resident told police the man had entered a vehicle parked in the driveway.
When confronted, the suspect allegedly took currency from the vehicle’s center console and fled again.
Police continued searching the area and spotted a man matching the suspect’s description walking behind the Lake Avenue Apartments.
Officers ordered the man to stop, but police said he refused and ran east toward Renee Road.
A brief foot pursuit followed before officers caught the suspect and arrested him without further incident.
Police identified him as Veelique Farrior-Harris, 23, of Newark.
Farrior-Harris was charged with unlawful taking of a means of conveyance, obstructing administration of law or another governmental function, resisting arrest by flight and burglary.
Police said Farrior-Harris also had active warrants from the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, Irvington Municipal Court and Newark Municipal Court.
He was lodged in the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Facility.
The charges are accusations, and Farrior-Harris is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Key Points
- East Brunswick police say a disabled vehicle call Sunday turned into a stolen-vehicle investigation after the driver fled when officers arrived.
- The suspect allegedly entered another vehicle on University Road, took cash from its center console and fled before officers spotted him near the Lake Avenue Apartments.
- Veelique Farrior-Harris, 23, of Newark, was arrested after a foot pursuit and faces four charges in addition to previously active warrants.
