Bridgeton News

Illegals in hit-and-run, fleeing probe

Thursday, September 06, 2007
By JONATHAN VIT
jvit@sjnewsco.com

FRANKLIN TWP. -- A Salem County man was the target of a police search Wednesday after he allegedly [b]struck an officer while he was fleeing[b] from a local convenience store in a stolen Comcast Cable installation truck.

Sgt. Vincent Driver was one of several officers outside the Wawa at the intersection of U.S. Route 40 and Porchtown Road about 4:15 a.m. detaining two Bridgeton residents on charges they were involved in an earlier hit-and-run accident in Pittsgrove Township.

Both were later determined to be illegal aliens from Mexico.

Justin P. Clendenin, 22, of Husted Road, Pittsgrove Township, remained at-large Wednesday afternoon on two counts of aggravated assault and single counts of eluding, resisting arrest and criminal mischief.

He is also wanted for stealing a motor vehicle in the township on Aug. 25, and a warrant relating to a drug charge from state Superior Court.

Domingo Lopez, 24, and Elda Velasquez, 18, both of Church Street, Bridgeton, are each charged with receiving stolen property and disorderly conduct. The two were committed to the Gloucester County Jail, Woodbury.

Police said the two were in this country illegally.

According to police, officers spotted Lopez and Velasquez near a Comcast cable truck parked outside the Wawa. A man identified as Clendenin was behind the wheel.

Police said Lopez and Velasquez fit the description of those involved in a hit-and-run accident in Pittsgrove. As police arrested the pair, the driver of the Comcast truck placed the vehicle in reverse -- striking Driver and Velasquez and two parked police cars.

Clendenin crashed the vehicle on Aura-Willow Grove Road near Route 40. He fled and was able to elude a police search involving a state police helicopter, four K-9 dogs from Franklin and Deptford townships and the state police.

The truck was stolen from Philadelphia.

Bail for Clendenin -- who does not work for Comcast -- is set at $100,000 cash.

Immigrations and Customs Enforcement has placed a detainer on Lopez and Velasquez -- should they be able to post $7,500 cash bail on the charges against them.

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