Two Men Charged With Burglary After Foot Chase

Wayne have charged two men with burglary after they broke into a home on Fairfield Road early Thursday and led police on a foot chase, authorities reported.

Jarret Bruce, 28, and Sharrod Stewart, 28, both of Hackensack, were charged with burglary after a resident of Fairfield Road discovered the men in his house around 2:30 a.m., police said.

Bruce was also charged with aggravated assault on a police officer for ramming his car into Officer Vinceent Ricciardelli’s police car, police said.

Officer Vincent Ricciardelli noticed a vehicle with Maryland license plates that was idling with its lights on directly next to a driveway of a house on Fairpark Place.

According to the report, information provided by various police agencies indicated that the burglars had been using rental vehicles with out-of-state license plates. That is why Ricciardelli found the vehicle to be suspicious and decided to approach the vehicle and ask what business the occupants had in the area, the report states.

As Ricciardelli approached it, the vehicle quickly drove away and turned into a driveway on Fairfield Road, the incident report states. Ricciardelli pulled his vehicle behind the car.

Police reported that the vehicle rammed into the police car and, at the same time, several males dressed in all black ran out of the front door of the house. The driver of the vehicle got out of the car and ran. Ricciardelli chased after the driver, the report states.

The suspects led police on a foot chase through several area backyards. Police found one of the men, Jarret Bruce, behind a building in the Mountain View Crossing apartment complex across Route 23.

Police eventually found Stewart running on the Bayer Healthcare complex property.

Two other suspects still have not been located, according to the report.

Residents of the Fairfield Road home told police that they heard their doorbell ring shortly after 10 p.m. Wednesday and saw a white sport utility vehicle drive away from the home; about three minutes later they heard a loud bang coming from their front door, which had been kicked in, the report states.

A male occupant of the house told police he confronted a man standing in his kitchen wearing all black clothing. The intruder and two other men ran out of the front door and ran into the backyard and police initiated pursuit on them and the driver of the vehicle, the report states. Nothing was taken from the home.

Both men were also charged with conspiracy to commit burglary. Bruce was charged with second-degree aggravated assault on a police officer and second-degree eluding. Stewart was also charged with fourth-degree eluding.

Bruce’s bail was set at $500,000, Stewart’s at $100,000, with no 10 percent option.

The vehicle was towed to the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office. Wayne Police are waiting to examine the vehicle.

The incident Wednesday is the latest in a string of burglaries, attempted burglaries, and suspicious activity that has plagued the township in recent weeks. More than a dozens incidents were reported between April 25 and May 30. Three others between May 31 and June 3. Four more .

Clarke said police believe the men who were involved in the incident Wednesday on Diorio Court May 31. He said the same female rented the vehicles involved in each incident.

Police will continue to work with the Bergen, Morris, and Passaic County Prosecutor's Offices and continue "proactive police work," including patrols by uniformed and plainclothed officers, until the incidents cease.

“We don’t believe [the two men] were involved in all the incidents that occurred in the past five weeks,” Clarke said.

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