Crime & Safety

Fair Lawn Man Allegedly Claimed to be Cop, Stole Car [UPDATE]

Fair Lawn police found the man just hours after the reported theft in Rochelle Park because he was reportedly intoxicated and demanding to be arrested.

Fair Lawn police arrested a borough man Thursday who allegedly stole a car hours earlier in Rochelle Park, The Record reported.

Steven Garfield, 59, yelled "police, get out of the car," at the car's owner outside of a Dunkin' Donuts at 7:30 a.m., according to the report. The woman left her purse behind in the car and he drove off.

Fair Lawn police found the alleged car thief at about 3 p.m. while responding to a report of a man who was intoxicated and demanding to be arrested, according to a report on NJ.com. Records clerk and auxiliary police Chief Nicholas Magarelli made the connection between the man's description and a drawing of the suspect. The man reportedly admitted to taking the car when police found him.

The car was found running outside a bank on Ridgewood Avenue, according to the report.

The man was charged with carjacking and taken to Bergen County Jail after being evaluated at Bergen Regional Medical Center. He was held on $150,000 bail.


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