The incident happened on Wednesday, July 16, around 8:40 p.m., according to Paramus Police Chief Robert Guidetti.
Officer Hugo Rodriguez-Peña was patrolling the mall parking lot when he noticed a white 2021 Acura TLX with “driver’s side door handle showing signs of tampering” and a detached keyhole, both “consistent with common techniques used to defeat locking mechanisms and steal vehicles,” Guidetti said.
A check of the VIN confirmed the Acura was reported stolen by Passaic Police the day before. Sgt. Anthony Mordaga and Officer Slavko Bajovic joined Rodriguez-Peña and began surveillance. Two men soon approached and entered the vehicle…