Wyckoff April 20, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 5 Police nab four in connection with armed robbery by John Koster A wild chase in cars and on foot led to the capture of four men who robbed Hartgers Jewelers of $1 million worth of Rolex watches at knifepoint. The four were sent to Bergen County Jail in lieu of $500,000 bail with no 10 percent. The four men, residents of New York and Pennsylvania, all had extensive criminal records before police from Wyckoff, with the assistance of Franklin Lakes, Midland Park, Ridgewood, Mahwah, Allendale, and Bergen and Passaic counties, captured them and apparently recovered most of the 100-plus watches, police say they robbed from the Wyckoff jewelry store on Saturday, April 9. The first man reportedly entered Hartgers alone, looked around, and then entered the store again with two other men whose faces were covered with ski masks. The three men pushed employees to one corner of the store and one man smashed a display case with a sledgehammer. Two of the robbers began scooping up the watches and stuffing them into pillowcases. The third man entered an open safe and then grappled with the store owner. Two women patrons of the store were knocked down but not seriously injured. Wyckoff police responded to both a 911 call and a hold-up alarm at Hartgers at 11:56 a.m. The three men fled from the store and jumped into a Chevrolet Tahoe that was parked outside and being driven by a fourth man. Police received a description of the vehicle and began a pursuit on Franklin Avenue. At the corner of Franklin Avenue and Ewing Avenue, one man jumped out of the vehicle while it was still moving. Wyckoff Sergeant Jack McEwan and a Franklin Lakes officer took off after the man on foot and caught him. The Tahoe reached Route 208 and headed south while being pursued by Wyckoff Police Officers Thomas Tully, Brenda Groslinger, and Ryan Tenney. The escape vehicle turned onto Goffle Road in Hawthorne and headed north -- back to Wyckoff. The Tahoe then collided with a Hawthorne police car on Goffle Road at Rock Road. Two of the men were captured. A Hawthorne police officer suffered minor hand injuries. The fourth man fled on foot and was later apprehended in a wooded area of Ridgewood. All four of the captured fugitives were initially charged with robbery and theft. Pending charges at press time included possession of a knife being used as a weapon, aggravated assault on a police officer, eluding a police officer, and resisting arrest. Wyckoff Chief Benjamin Fox thanked the officers involved, who also included Lieutenant Charles Van Dyk, Lieutenant David Murphy, Sergeant Daniel Kellogg, Sergeant Michael Ragucci, and Patrolman Peter Goodman, along with the officers from other towns. In Home PERSONAL TRAINING • Flexible Scheduling • Nutrition Guidance • Sports Specific Training • Men, Women, Children & Couples With Brad Lose 20 lbs in 10 Weeks Insured Degreed & Certified For Free Consultation call: TONE UP/LOSE FAT/ FEEL GREAT 201-925-0381 4-20-11 mike/janine BridgeTable2x3(4-20-11) 2 x 3” Budget Cleaners Special $199 Per Piece $ 00 1 Men’s Laundered Shirts (With $15 of Dry Cleaning) Must Bring Ad • Expires 5/31/11 • Pre-Paid/Cash Only FOREST RD. y With Us Save Mone 425B Forest Road X Budget Cleaners AVENUE (Next to Esposito’s Restaurant) WYCKOFF PULIS AVE. Hours: M-F 8:00am-6:00pm • Sat 8:30am-4:30pm 201-891-1753 Mahwah, NJ 4-20-11 joan/janine