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Suspect Crashes Stolen Police Car After Wild Chase In New Jersey

NUTLEY, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A wild chase ended when a suspect crashed a stolen police car Friday morning in Nutley.

It started around 9 a.m. when the suspect acted out outside a home at Cathedral Avenue and Orange Street in Nutley, 1010 WINS' Al Jones reported.

An officer arrived and tried to subdue the suspect, who hopped into a police sport-utility vehicle and took off on Passaic Avenue, where he slammed into a civilian SUV in Clifton.

As CBS2's Christine Sloan reported, the suspect ended up turned around in the center median on Route 3 West in Clifton after smashing up the police vehicle and severely damaging the other SUV.

Tony Sanchez, who manages a realty office near the scene, happened to be outside when the chaos unfolded. He shot cellphone video.

"Just going back and forth putting stuff in my car, I heard a huge bang; crash" Sanchez said. "I thought it was a truck."

The suspect then ran.

"I saw the policemen chasing the guy under Route 3. They were chasing the guy, he had no shirt on," Sanchez said. "He had jumped out of the car and was making it by foot."

Sanchez said police chased the man and caught up to him.

"He was putting up a fight; you know, kicking back and forth, and I think I could see they Maced him," Sanchez said.

Paul Falduto lives in the neighborhood in Nutley where police said the suspect stole the SUV.

"I see the car flying this way, but I didn't know who they were; what was going on," Falduto said.

Sources said the Nutley officer was responding to a domestic dispute when the suspect got into a fight with him and stole his police vehicle. The officer was hurt, but his injuries were minor.

"I don't know how the officer could allow, you know, him to get into that car and take off with it," said Frank Prince of Nutley.

Nutley police declined to comment. Falduto said the domestic quarrel was between a mother and a son.

"Heard a lady screaming, and she said: 'He's going to kill me! He's going to kill me!'" Falduto said.

Late Friday, Edgar Ordonez, 22, of Nutley, was charged with carjacking, aggravated assault, resisting arrest, and weapons and motor vehicle offenses by both Clifton and Nutley police, according to the Passaic County Prosecutor's office.

Edgar Ordonez
Edgar Ordonez, 22, was charged with stealing and crashing a police squad car from Nutley, New Jersey on Friday, Aug, 26, 2016. (Credit: Passaic County Prosecutor's office)

Bail for Ordonez was set at $250,000 with no 10 percent option in the carjacking and related charges, and another $75,000 in the domestic violence incident in which he was also charged, prosecutors said.

CBS2 asked if there was any police dashcam video or if the suspect was under the influence of drugs, but had not heard back late Friday afternoon.

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