Car burglars arrested after eluding police in 'wild manner', crashing vehicle
BRICK TOWNSHIP, N.J. - A pair that police allege are responsible for the thefts and burglaries of vehicles in the state of New Jersey have been arrested.
On Thursday at approximately 2 p.m., an off-duty Brick Township police officer was leaving an LA Fitness Gym in the Brick Plaza after working out when he heard a vehicle alarm sounding in the parking lot.
According to police, the alarm was coming from a tan Chevy pickup truck. The officer noticed a greenish-gray minivan parked next to the tan pickup and realized that the minivan matched the description of the vehicle that car burglars had been using while traveling all over the state in the past several weeks.
The officer called the incident into headquarters and another officer, who was the closest patrol unit, arrived within minutes.
Police say when the suspects saw the marked car pull into the parking lot, they fled in a "wild manner" with "extreme disregard" for the pedestrian traffic in the shopping plaza.
A pursuit began with the officer following the fleeing vehicle with lights and sirens, but the driver continued driving erratically through the residential neighborhood across from the plaza.
Out of concern for the public, police terminated the pursuit. At this time, several police units were in the area and continued to monitor the erratic driving of the fleeing suspects from a distance.
According to police, the suspects continued fleeing dangerously through town, at one point driving against traffic, going east on the westbound side of Route 70.
Reportedly, several motorists were run off the road to avoid colliding with the racing vehicle. Meanwhile, police continued to monitor the suspects from a safe distance.
Eventually, at the intersection of Burnt Tavern Road and Maple Avenue, the suspect ran the red light and crashed into a black Audi with two occupants. The crash overturned the black Audi and disabled the suspects' minivan.
Both suspects, identified as 42-year-old Andrew Williams of Brooklyn, NY and 49-year-old Louis Candelario of Brooklyn, NY, jumped out of the minivan and began to run.
Williams allegedly ran to a vehicle that had stopped near the intersection because of the crash and tried to pull the driver out of the vehicle. Police say the woman was wearing her seatbelt and Williams could not extract her from her car.
Williams tried to flee on foot and attempted to enter an unmarked police car, but two officers were able to pull him out of the vehicle and placed him in handcuffs.
Candelario fled north on Burnt Tavern Road, but was eventually apprehended by another officer.
Williams and Candelario both face numerous charges including burglary, theft, criminal mischief and more.
According to police, the victims of Thursday's incident are safe and detectives continue to investigate the events that occurred. More charges are possible.
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