A Pleasantville man who crashed several cars fleeing police in a stolen truck Tuesday morning had already been jailed this week after stealing two other vehicles, police said.
Joshua Roe, 26, is back in the Atlantic County Justice Facility after leading police on a chase in a stolen red Ford F150 that ended with the truck crashed, and him running on foot and finally apprehended by a K-9 dog, Pleasantville Police Capt. Matt Hartman said.
The truck belonging to a roof contractor had been stolen from the Mays Landing Campus of Atlantic Cape Community College, according to a notice Hamilton Township police put out at about 9:30 Tuesday morning.
Pleasantville Police Officer Michael Gamad quickly spotted the truck, and tried to stop the driver.
But Roe refused to stop, leading Gamad on a chase east on the Black Horse Pike into Atlantic City.
During the chase, Roe struck two vehicles in the areas of the intersection at Albany and Winchester avenues. A driver was injured in the crash, causing the officers to terminate the chase, Hartman said.
Roe continued west on Albany Avenue out of the city, then lost control and struck a concrete median and several vehicles.
One of the vehicles was forced off the road, and came to rest after crashing into the pump island at the Shell Gas Station on Albany Avenue, Hartman said.
Roe tried to run, and resisted arrest, according to the report. He was finally apprehended by Gamad, Patrolman Matt Laielli, his K-9 partner, Chewbacca, Lt. T.J. Zyckowski and Patrolman Marlon Hernandez, Hartman said.
Roe was treated for dog bite injuries before being taken to the Atlantic County Justice Facility.
He already had been there Sunday, after racking up charges in three different towns, Hartman said.
Roe was first arrested by Atlantic City police with a stolen motor vehicle, and released on a summons.
He then allegedly stole another vehicle from Pleasantville, fleeing from police there and crashing through the gate at the NJ Transit station on Doughty and Woodland, continuing to flee.
Officers terminated that chase for safety reasons, Hartman said.
But that wasn't the last police encounter he would have that day.
He was later arrested in Galloway for shoplifting from the CVS at the White Horse Pike and Jimmie Leeds Road, according to the report.
That put Roe in jail, but he apparently was free by Tuesday morning, when he against is accused of wreaking havoc on the road.
Now back in jail, he had a detention hearing scheduled for Monday before Superior Court Judge Ronald Cunningham.
Roe is charged with eluding and receiving stolen property both in Pleasantville and Atlantic City. His charges out of Atlantic City also include two counts of assault by auto, three counts of aggravated assault on a police officer, attempting to injure a law enforcement animal, resisting arrest with violence and resisting arrest by flight.
