A 21-year-old city man in a stolen minivan led police on a chase through Trenton's North and West Wards that briefly extended into Ewing.
TRENTON — A 21-year-old city man in a stolen minivan led police on a chase through Trenton’s North and West Wards that briefly extended into Ewing on Christmas night before being caught, police said.
Yazear Lee was arrested after he abandoned the van in the rear of Whittier Avenue and fled on foot. Police established a perimeter of the area and soon caught him nearby, police said.
Officers Joe D’Ambrosio and Stewart Owens were on patrol on Brunswick Avenue near Chase Street shortly before 10 p.m. when the saw a silver Honda Odyssey van pass them in the opposite direction. From a look at the plate, one of the officers remembered the vehicle was reported stolen in the city the day before, Lt. Steve Varn said.
D’Ambrosio and Owens caught up to the van on East Paul Avenue, activated their emergency lights and tried to pull Lee over. According to police, Lee briefly stopped, but then sped off when the officers emerged from their vehicle.
Police pursued Lee throughout the western portion and northern section of the city until he came to a stop on Bellmont Circle off of Bellevue Avenue, Varn said.
Officers briefly lost track of Lee when he ran away, but later were able to place him under arrest without incident. A search of his person revealed a clear sandwich bag carrying a substance suspected to be marijuana inside his hoodie, Varn said.
Lee was charged with receiving stolen property, possession marijuana, eluding, obstructing the administration of law, resisting arrest, being an unlicensed driver, reckless driving, failure to stop or yield, and driving the wrong way on a one-way street.
Contact Alex Zdan at azdan@njtimes.com or (609) 989-5705.
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