BRICK – Two men suspected in multiple car burglaries throughout the state have been arrested after being spotted in a gym parking lot.
Around 2 p.m. on December 16, off-duty Brick Township Police Officer Kevin Ryan was leaving the LA Fitness gym in Brick Plaza after working out when he heard a car alarm sounding in the parking lot.
The alarm came from a tan Chevy pickup truck and Ryan noticed a greenish grey minivan parked next to it. This minivan matched the description of the vehicle that car burglars have been using the past several weeks while traveling all over the state, breaking into cars in gym and retail parking lots.
Ryan immediately called it in to headquarters and Officer John Canterelli was the closest patrol unit, arriving within minutes.
Once the suspects observed the marked police car in the parking lot, they immediately fled frantically disregarding the pedestrian traffic.
Canterelli pursued the fleeing car with lights and sirens but the driver continued to drive dangerously through the residential neighborhood directly across from Brick Plaza, along Aurora Place and Bryn Mawr Drive. Police then terminated the pursuit out of concern for the safety of the general public.
Soon several police units were in the area and those officers continued to monitor the reckless suspects from a distance. When the suspects left the residential neighborhood, they turned from North Lake Shore Drive onto Brick Blvd. south, driving against traffic and going north on the southbound side of Brick Blvd.
The suspects continued, driving against the flow of traffic and going east on the westbound side of Route 70. Due to the reckless driving of the suspects, several motorists were run off the road to avoid colliding with them.
While officers continued to monitor from a safe distance, the suspects were eventually stopped when then ran a red light at the intersection of Burnt Tavern Rd. and Maple Ave., crashing into another car causing it to overturn and the suspect’s minivan to become disabled.
As a result, the suspects began to flee on foot. The driver, identified as 42-year-old Andrew Williams from Brooklyn, NY, ran to another car and tried to pull the driver out. Since she was seat belted in, he could not extract her.
Williams then tried to steal an unmarked police car but was eventually placed under arrest by Lt. Terrence Covert and Lt. Jay Matthews.
The passenger, 49-year-old Louis Candelario from Brooklyn, NY, fled north and eventually was arrested by Officer John Boronkas.
Williams was charged with Carjacking, Burglary, Theft, Criminal Mischief, Aggravated Assault, Attempt to Elude in a Motor Vehicle, Obstructing Justice, Resisting Arrest, and dozens of motor vehicle violations.
Candelario was charged with Burglary, Theft, Criminal Mischief and Obstructing Justice. Both suspects were lodged in Ocean County Jail.
Police said all of the victims involved in the incident are safe and Detectives continue to investigate the events as they unfolded. More charges are possible upon the completion of the Traffic Safety Unit’s investigation into the crash at Maple Ave. and Burnt Tavern, police said.
Both Williams and Candelario are suspects in multiple vehicle burglaries and thefts throughout the state of New Jersey.
