A Bayonne man was arrested in Brooklyn after stealing and crashing a police cruiser that was being used to help divert traffic at a separate accident scene, authorities said.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Yesterday at approximately 10:28 p.m., Bayonne police officers responded to the area of 12th Street and Broadway on a report of a motor vehicle crash, according to Police Capt. Eric Amato.
While at the scene investigating the crash, an officer positioned his marked police vehicle on 13th Street and Broadway to divert traffic away from the crash scene. At the completion of the investigation, the officer proceeded to 13th Street to retrieve his vehicle only to find that it had been stolen.
Surrounding law enforcement agencies, including the NYPD, Port Authority of New York/New Jersey Police Department (PAPD), and Jersey City Police Department, were immediately notified and asked to be on the lookout for the stolen police vehicle.
At 12:45 a.m. this morning, Bayonne police were advised by the Port Authority police that they were involved in a motor vehicle pursuit of the stolen vehicle eastbound on I-278 in Staten Island. The pursuit concluded when the stolen police vehicle crashed into a parked vehicle in Brooklyn at the intersection of 23rd Street and 5th Avenue.
The actor, later identified as Frank Suarez of West 13th Street in Bayonne, NJ, was taken into custody by members of the PAPD without incident. The exact details of the theft remain under investigation by the Bayonne Police Department.
“The Bayonne Police Department would like to extend sincere thanks and appreciation to all of the agencies that helped bring this unfortunate incident to a safe and successful resolution,” Amato added.
