Three Teens Accused In Fort Lee Car Break-Ins

An 18-year-old New York City man and two 13-year-old boys were arrested Thursday night near the George Washington Bridge in connection with a series of car break-ins on 11th Street and Wilson Avenue in Fort Lee, police said.

At about 8:30 p.m. Thursday, a Fort Lee man who lives on 11th street, told cops he witnessed the three entering his car and those of some of his neighbors.

The man then confronted the three alleged burglars, who took off running, and, along with a neighbor whose car had also been broken into, followed them toward the GWB, police said.

The two victims hailed a Port Authority police officer and alerted him to the situation; Fort Lee police were notified, and officers “quickly saturated the area,” police said.

Port Authority and Fort Lee police located the three on the New Jersey side of the bridge and took Rafael Garcia, 18, of Manhattan, and two juveniles, both 13, into custody after the victim positively identified them, police said.

One of the juveniles had a small purse and a TomTom GPS in his possession at the time of the arrest, police said.

Garcia was charged with four counts of burglary and theft, in addition to receiving stolen property, police said.

Further investigation revealed that three vehicles on 11th Street and one on Wilson Avenue, which is located on the other side of town, had been broken into, according to police.

Garcia was arraigned, and bail was set at $10,000. The two juveniles were released to their parents’ custody, police said.

Detectives are following up to determine if the three were responsible for any other break-ins around the same time, police said.

Police can’t release any information about the juveniles allegedly involved in the break-ins, but Chief Thomas O. Ripoli of the did say, “We believe that we got all of the suspects.”