Barefoot and 19, suspect charged with burglary after fleeing from victims

Tuesday, July 12, 2011, 3:00 AM
By Julius Zeitlinger/The Jersey Journal

A barefoot Jersey City suspect broke into a woman?s home early Saturday morning, grabbed her purse and fled with nearly $1,000 in cash, police said.

Frank Ford, 19, of New Hope Lane, was charged with burglary, theft, and resisting arrest after leading cops on a foot chase with his shoes in hand, police reports said.

Ford walked into a Custer Avenue home at 12:39 a.m. Saturday and snatched the purse that contained $962, a cell phone, two checkbooks, keys and credit cards, police said.

The victim, who had been sleeping on a couch, and her daughter saw the thief walk out the door, reports said.
The victim?s daughter told police Ford had attempted to hide between cars before running across the street and through backyards.

During a search of the nearby area and adjacent streets, $700 and identification from the purse were found in a backyard on Custer Avenue, police said, adding that the purse, wallet, and checkbook were found in front of homes on Gates Avenue.

Cops saw the victim?s ex-boyfriend and her daughter chasing a man who fit the description of the purse snatcher, reports said.

Police pursued and caught Ford at the corner of Gates and Ocean avenues after Ford tripped and fell, reports said.

Ford, who was carrying $262 on him, flailed his arms and legs when police tried to arrest him and police had to use physical force to arrest him, reports said.