Two New Jersey Men Plead Guilty to Reduced Charges in Wykagyl Car Chase

NEW ROCHELLE, NY (March 20, 2023) — A pair of New Jersey men pleaded guilty Friday to significantly reduced charges stemming from a high-speed police pursuit involving a handgun.

The two men were in a stolen vehicle, a 2016 Audi A7, owned by a woman in East Newark, NJ, along with two other people. The third person was not apprehended. A fourth person, Justin McKinney, age 18, from Kearny, NJ, was found in possession of a loaded Glock 9 mm semiautomatic-handgun in his pants. He also possessed a large capacity ammunition feeding device, loaded with 29 9 mm bullets. McKinney is facing felony weapons charges.

Eliezer Velez, age 19, of Newark, NJ and Frank L.D. Clark, age 20, from Newark, NJ each accepted a negotiated plea, a reduction from Unauthorized Use Of A Vehicle—3, a class A misdemeanor, to Disorderly Conduct, a violation, with a 1 year ACD, a 2 year TOP on behalf of the owner of the Audi, fines and fees, and an admission in open court that they had no knowledge that McKinney had a handgun. The judge issued a sealing order.

The original charges against Velez and Clark were Criminal Possession Stolen Property – 3rd, a D Felony, Criminal Possession of a Weapon – 2nd, a C Felony, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon – 3rd (Large Ammo Device), a D Felony.

On December 29th, 2022, at about 1:30 pm, The Westchester County Real Time Crime Center advised New Rochelle Police that a stolen vehicle had entered New Rochelle after having been chased by Greenwich, CT Police and Westchester County Police on the Hutchinson River Parkway. New Rochelle Police and Westchester County Police began to search the area. New Rochelle Police located the vehicle, abandoned at the corner of North Avenue and Bon Air Avenue. While continuing the search, New Rochelle Police observed four males walking on Seacord Road, a short distance away from the abandoned vehicle. The four males began to run behind homes on Bon Air Avenue once they saw the police approach. Two suspects were quickly apprehended behind a Bon Air Avenue home. One of the suspects was found to be in possession of a loaded 9mm Glock handgun with an extended magazine holding 29 rounds. A third suspect was caught running on Seacord Road. The fourth suspect was not found. McKinney was wanted out of New Jersey for an armed carjacking.