A homeless Jersey City man was charged with breaking into a car parked at the Newport Centre Mall Wednesday night, officials said.
Luis E. Padilla, 47, was arrested at 10:45 p.m. at 30 Mall Drive.
Officers doing surveillance in the parking deck due to numerous reports of break-ins watched Padilla as he looked into the windows of various parked cars, reports said.
The officers said he lingered beside a car and then quickly shattered one of its windows before grabbing items from inside, and when cops approached he ran down some stairs and out of the parking deck before being tackled and handcuffed after a struggle, reports said.
A search revealed Padilla had a radar detector and sunglasses that the car owner later identified as his, reports said.
Police found Padilla is also wanted on an warrant issued out of California, reports said.