Stolen Car Chase Leads To School Lockdown, Foot Search Friday

HARRISON, NY — Harrison police arrested three people Friday morning after a chase in a stolen vehicle along the Hutchinson River Parkway.

The arrests were made possible thanks to the use of license plate reader technology and the coordinated response of the Harrison, Rye Brook, City of Rye, Port Chester and Westchester County police departments.

Harrison patrols were made aware that a vehicle stolen in the Bronx Thursday was traveling through the area on local roads. A Harrison sergeant located the vehicle at the gas station near North Street on the Hutchinson River Parkway. However, when the sergeant attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver fled north. The sergeant pursued the vehicle along with other Harrison Police units and Westchester County Police.

Despite a collision near the North Ridge Street exit in Rye Brook, the driver continued north on the Hutchinson River Parkway, exiting at North Ridge Street, leading police past an elementary school and into a residential neighborhood. The three occupants jumped out of the vehicle and ran.

Schools were immediately advised to go into a lockdown as a precaution. A Harrison Police K9 was deployed as part of a coordinated search conducted by Harrison, Rye Brook, City of Rye, Port Chester and Westchester County officers.

Within 20 minutes, all three suspects were taken into custody. They are being charged with Criminal Possession of Stolen Property, a C felony. One of the three suspects has prior felony convictions so he was remanded to the County Jail; the other two involved were released without bail, police said.

“Everything worked as it should have in this case: technology alerted us to the vehicle, our officers quickly located it and with the assistance of other departments three suspects were taken into custody without incident,” said Chief John T. Vasta.