Three charged with shoplifting after chase Driver accused of causing two

Three charged with shoplifting after chase
Driver accused
of causing two

accidents in E.B.

By Nicole c. vaccaro

Staff Writer

Three Brooklyn, N.Y., residents managed to elude police officers for nearly three hours before finally being caught last week.

According to East Brunswick Police, Officer Daniel Melnick spotted Mikey Vital, 18, running away from a security guard at the Sports Authority, Mid-State Mall, at 6:53 p.m. Dec. 5. Before he could be apprehended, Vital entered a 1999 gold Lexus with Florida license plates.

Driving the vehicle was Serge Morisset, 22, who police say attempted to drive directly at Officer Melnick’s vehicle. Police said Melnick was forced to take evasive action in order to avoid a collision.

The Lexus sped out of the parking lot onto Route 18 north where a chase ensued.

According to police reports, Morisset proceeded to run a red light at the intersection of Route 18 north and Edgeboro Road, where the Lexus he was driving collided with a silver Nissan and then a J.B. Hunt tractor-trailer.

The tractor-trailer blocked both the north and southbound lanes of Route 18 for several hours.

It was unknown at press time whether the driver of the Nissan, an Edison resident, or the truck’s driver, a Chambersburg, Pa., resident, sustained any injuries.

Immediately following the accident at Edgeboro Road, Morisset and Vital left the car and fled on foot, heading in separate directions, police said.

Vital ran to Edgeboro Plaza where he locked himself in the bathroom of Sahara Sun Tan. After forcing the locked door open, Melnick arrested Vital and charged him with shoplifting, resisting arrest, and possession of stolen property. Police also say Vital was in possession of less than 50 grams of marijuana and was charged accordingly.

Morisset, who had last been seen running on Albert Street, was not caught until 10 p.m. Anti-Crime Unit detectives John Breen and Jeff Marino located the suspect at a phone booth along the N.J. Turnpike in the Exit 9 toll plaza.

Morisset had blood on his hands and face from the accident, police reported.

Police arrested the suspect on charges of aggravated assault with a motor vehicle, resisting arrest, shoplifting and possession of stolen property.

There was a warrant for Morisset’s arrest from Bucks County, Pa., for violation of parole.

The third shoplifting suspect, Ronald Vital, 29, who never entered the car, was later arrested without incident at Cook’s Sunoco gas station, Route 18.

He was charged with shoplifting and possession of stolen property.

A total of $4,500 was recovered from the car after the crash, as well as an unidentified amount of merchandise found in girdles each suspect allegedly wore under their clothes.

All three men were taken to Middlesex County Adult Correction Center, North Brunswick, where they are being held on $25,000 bail.