View Larger Map
View Larger Map Jersey City police say arrest of two suspects ends wild chase across city in which 3 cop cars crash Wednesday, November 10, 2010 By MICHAELANGELO CONTE JOURNAL STAFF WRITER Three Jersey City police cars crashed during a pursuit of two people wanted in connection with a robbery at The Hub - a wild chase that ended when the fleeing vehicle led police into the parking lot of the Hudson County Sheriff's Office, authorities said. Lisa M. Buchek, 38, and Malik Higgins, 27, both of Arlington Avenue in Jersey City, were arrested in the parking lot at the new County Plaza building on Cornelison Avenue at about 8:10 p.m. Monday, Jersey City spokesman Stan Eason said last night. Buchek, the driver, and Higgins made their first appearance on the charges in Central Judicial Processing court yesterday via video link from Hudson County jail in Kearny. Higgins' bail was set at $100,000 and Buchek's at $50,000, both cash or bond. Buchek had a black eye and her ankle was in a cast. The incident began Monday at about 4 p.m. when a man grabbed the purse of a woman leaving a supermarket, Police Deputy Chief Peter Nalbach said. The man jumped into a Buick that sped him away, but the victim got the license plate number, Nalbach said. At 8 p.m., the car was spotted at Ocean and Bidwell avenues, but when officers tried to pull it over, Buchek hit the gas, Nalbach said. At West Side and Fairview avenues Buchek slammed on the brakes, causing a pursuing police car to crash into the Buick. The tactic, which she repeated several times, is commonly used by fleeing suspects to disable pursuing police cars, police said. The chase resulted in two radio cars crashing and being towed away, Nalbach said, adding that a third cruiser crashed, but remained operable. When the vehicle was cornered in the Sheriff's Office lot, officers found the items taken from the robbery victim, police said. Eason said no police officers were injured in the crashes. Court officials said Buchek has three prior arrests in Florida. Higgins was in prison from Dec. 17, 2004 to Nov. 16, 2007 for two counts of drug possession with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school, state corrections records say.