'Good Samaritan' Who Climbed Into Crash Victim's Car Actually Stole From Him: Mahwah PD

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A man who climbed into a crash victim's car just over the New Jersey/New York border last month ended up stealing his watch and credit cards, Mahwah police said Friday.

Mahwah Police Captain Michael Blondin said that on Aug. 26, around 10:30 a.m., the Suffern, N.Y. Police Department responded to a motor vehicle crash on Orange Avenue in that town.

New City Patch reported that the vehicle crashed through the window of Curley's Corner, a restaurant owned by Suffern Mayor Michael Curley.

Blondin said when police arrived, an apparent “good Samaritan," who had witnessed the crash, was inside the vehicle and appeared to be "tending to the unconscious driver."

The driver, a 56-year-old Suffern man, was taken to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries, police said.

Approximately 15 minutes after the accident, the victim’s family began receiving alerts that his credit cards were being used, Blondin said.

Fraudulent charges were made at businesses in Rockland County and in Mahwah, Blondin said.

Mahwah and Suffern police worked together to review video surveillance of the stores, police said.

They identified the man as Daniel Santos, 49, from Mahwah.

They said that they saw on the video that the victim was also wearing the victim's watch, valued at more than $3,000.

Santos was apprehended while driving in Mahwah on Sept. 4, said police. His home was searched.

Police found proceeds from the theft, they said, as well as several ounces of cocaine, a scale, and packaging materials.

Santos was charged with receiving stolen property, use of a stolen credit card, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

A second resident of the home, Natalie Sarkissian, 34, was also charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The pair of them had also been arrested on drug charges in July, Blondin confirmed, but were released shortly thereafter.

They were taken to the Bergen County Jail to await a hearing in Superior Court, police said.