Gun, Crack Cocaine Found in Stolen Bernardsville Car, Police Say

A handgun and crack cocaine were found in a vehicle stolen from Bernardsville that led five police departments on a high-speed chase and crashed into a building on Eagle Rock Avenue in West Caldwell early Monday morning, police said.

Police on Tuesday released the identities of the adults charged in the incident. The driver was identified as Laquan Breedlove, 32, of Newark. The passengers were Lamar Rutherford, 24, of Newark; Quaisha Jackson-Page, 24, of Newark; a 17-year-old male from Orange and a 16-year-old female from Newark, police said.

Those arrested were each charged with receiving stolen property, eluding, resisting arrest and other offenses, according to police. Breedlove was additionally charged with multiple weapons charges.

The chase began in West Caldwell when police tried to pull over five people in a Jeep Grand Cherokee around 3:15 a.m. Monday, police said. The Jeep led officers on a chase down Roseland Avenue before crashing into businesses near Fairchild's Market in Roseland as it tried to turn onto Eagle Rock Avenue, according to police.

The Jeep hit an Essex Fells police cruiser and drove through two small trees and sidewalk planters before crashing into the buildings in the 170-block of Eagle Rock Avenue, police said.

Four of the five people were arrested as they tried to flee from the Jeep after it crashed, police said. Rutherford escaped but was later arrested after he was seen running across Interstate 280 in Roseland by an officer transporting the stolen car to a garage in Orange, police said.

Breedlove had a 9mm handgun on him when he was arrested, police said. One of the two teenagers in the car was also in possession of crack cocaine, but Essex Fells Police did not identify which teenager it was, police said.

An Essex Fells officer who had been in the police cruiser that was hit by the Jeep was transported to the hospital for evaluation and later released. Three of those in the stolen Jeep were also treated at a local hospital and released, according to police. 

The vehicle was stolen from Bernardsville on Saturday and the license plates were reported stolen from Newark, according to police. 

Breedlove, Jackson-Page and Ruterford are being held at Essex County Jail on $100,000 bail. The teenagers are at the Essex County Youth House.