Teens Led Police On High-Speed Rt. 287 Chase After Car Thefts: PD

HANOVER, NJ — A group of teenagers from Connecticut accused of leading a car-theft ring took police on a multi-town high-speed chase across Morris County this weekend, only ending after they hit a cop car and broke down near a local mall, Hanover police said.

The chase happened on Sunday, and began in East Hanover, police said. A car stolen out of New York was flagged speeding west on Route 10, and onto Route 287 north. The speeding car led police onto Route 80, and eventually onto Route 46 in Wayne.

At the tail end of the chase, the car "rammed" a North Caldwell Police vehicle in Little Falls, before the car broke down near the Willowbrook Mall, Hanover police said.

Some of the teens tried to run away, police said, but after a brief foot chance all seven teens were apprehended.

All the suspects are between 13 and 17, police said, and are from the New Haven, Connecticut, area. The group was charged with eluding, receiving stolen property, possession of under 50 grams of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia, police said.

There are also "numerous" motor vehicle charges pending from each of the towns they traveled through, and an aggravated assault charge for ramming into the cop car, Hanover police said.

Police say the teens are linked to a number of car burglaries across the area: 17 in Hanover, 2 in Florham Park, 15 in Livingston, and "numerous others" in New York.

The group was taken to the Morris County Juvenile Detention Center pending an upcoming court date and the filing of the additional charges.