Three people were charged with breaking into cars in Bayonne, at one point fleeing the scene and police eventually recovering a handgun.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Ethan Baez, 19, Hakeem Grant, 18, both of Jersey City, and Elijah McCall, 18, of Orange, were all charged with four counts of burglary, four counts of theft, four counts of conspiracy, eluding, as well as possession of dum dum bullets and a large-capacity magazine, according to Police Sgt. Kenneth Drago.
Additionally, Baez is charged with unlawful possession of a handgun and certain persons not to have weapons or ammunition, while Grant faces an additional four counts of burglary, two more counts of theft, one more count of conspiracy, and receiving a stolen vehicle.
On March 15th at approximately 3:30 a.m., officers responded to a report of a burglary and theft from a motor vehicle in the area of 2nd Street and Avenue C.
The victim provided the license plate number of the suspect’s vehicle, and a description was immediately broadcast to all officers in the area.
The on-scene investigation revealed additional victims and several other vehicles that had been entered by the same suspects. While speaking with victims, officers learned that two fully loaded handgun magazines had been taken from one of the vehicles.
Shortly after, officers spotted the suspect vehicle traveling north on Route 440. They attempted to initiate a traffic stop; however, the suspects fled at a high rate of speed.
A pursuit was initiated but was quickly terminated due to the reckless driving of the suspects. The vehicle, which had been confirmed as stolen from Jersey City, continued to evade officers.
A thorough investigation by the Bayonne Police Detective Bureau led to the identification of three suspects: Baez, Grant, and McCall. Detectives connected the trio to previous burglaries, thefts, and a stolen vehicle in the city.
On March 18th, Baez and Grant were apprehended in Jersey City, and a handgun was recovered during Baez’s arrest. McCall was taken into custody on March 20th in Irvington.
All three suspects were processed and transported to the Hudson County Correctional Center, where they await further legal proceedings, police said.
