Three teens from Irvington and Newark were arrested after a car chase and then a foot chase through Union, police said. Watch video
Photos of the stolen car after the chase and crash. (Union PD)UNION -- Three teens from Irvington and Newark were arrested after a car chase and then a foot chase through Union on Wednesday, police said.
According to police, driver Lorvens Francois, 18, of Irvington; and passengers Kevin Antoine, 19, of Newark and a 16-year-old juvenile from Irvington, were all charged with receiving stolen property and resisting arrest after the chase, which began when an officer noticed Francois driving erratically in a Honda Civic.
Police said Officer Adam Jovic was in an unmarked police car on Vauxhall Road near Rt. 22 when he noticed the erratic driving, which almost caused an accident, at about 1:45 p.m. on Wednesday. When Jovic checked the license plate, he was advised that it was a stolen car, taken that same day, from Irvington, police said.
Jovic began to follow the car, a blue 2000 Honda Civic, when it turned onto a side street and accelerated away from him, but he kept pace, police said.
Linden chase ends in crash, arrests of N.Y. men on drug charges
Police said when the car turned onto a dead end that led to Sayre Park, the driver, Francois, drove over the curb and onto the grass, then made a U-turn and tried to get back onto the street, but was blocked by Jovic's car.
Francois then tried to drive around the car, but struck the front of it, police said. The pursuit then resumed on the streets and headed towards Morris Avenue, they said.
Additional police cars went to the area, but Jovic stopped pursuing the car because it was driving too dangerously on Morris Avenue, police said. According to police, the stolen car crashed into a parked car on Morris Avenue near Colonial Avenue and was last seen heading eastbound on Morris Avenue on the wrong side of the road.
Police said Det. Sgt. Victor Correia and Det. Peter Simon were in the area of Kean University, saw the stolen car and followed it into the college, but quickly stopped following it when the driver became too reckless.
According to police, other officers had arrived in the area and saw the car slowing down due to the damage from the crash. The car eventually stopped in front of Suspenders Bar on Magie Avenue. and the three men took off running.
Police said Officers Dan Teleposky, Chris Lensi and Dominic Nuzzo saw the suspects after they had jumped over a fence onto Roseland Place and two of the men were quickly taken into custody. The 16-year-old jumped fences and tried to hide under a deck in a rear yard, but was also found and arrested, police said.
The driver also will have a litany of tickets written to him by the officers, police said. The juvenile was returned to his family in Irvington and the other two men will have bail set and then be transferred to the Union County Jail, police said.
Jessica Remo may be reached at jremo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessicaRemoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
