Brooklyn pair arrested after pursuit, accident

EAST BRUNSWICK - A Brooklyn man driving a stolen car last week led police on a pursuit that ended when he crashed into a parked car and fled on foot, only to be apprehended in a residential backyard, police said.

The 21-year-old suspect, Reinaldo Crespo, had a 14-year-old female passenger with him who wound up pinned in the vehicle when it struck the parked car.

The incident unfolded Sept. 3 after Patrolman Matt Petrillo attempted to stop the gray Mazda MPV with New York registration for disregarding a red traffic signal at the intersection of Arthur Street and Summerhill Road at 9:12 a.m. The vehicle came to stop on at the corner of Summerhill and Racetrack roads, but the driver, Crespo, fled the scene in the vehicle as the officer approached his car.

The vehicle, which was reported stolen out of New York, led the officer on a pursuit until it crashed into a parked car on Violet Court. Crespo jumped from the vehicle and fled on foot into the backyards on Violet Court. His 14-year-old female passenger, also of Brooklyn, was arrested at the scene of the crash. She had apparently tried to exit the vehicle while it was still moving, but when the vehicle hit the parked car her leg became trapped between the two cars. She was transported to an area hospital and her mother was contacted.

A short time later, police received reports from residents on Terry Lane that they saw an individual in the backyards. The person seen matched the description of the suspect, according to police. Officers responded to the area and apprehended Crespo after a brief struggle.

Crespo was also transported to an area hospital after he complained of a rapid heartbeat.

Both parties were examined and released by the hospital. The 14-year-old was released to her mother, pending the signing of juvenile complaints for possession of stolen property.

Crespo was charged with possession of stolen property, eluding, resisting arrest and assault. He was transported to the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center, North Brunswick, in lieu of $75,000 bail.

There was no information available regarding the reason the suspects were in the East Brunswick area, or what their relationship was to one another.