Passaic County Brothers Lead Mahwah Cops on Route 17 Chase, Police Say

Two Passaic County brothers led cops on a foot chase around Mahwah Thursday morning after police found drugs in their car, Chief Jim Batelli said in a release Thursday.

According to Batelli, when police stopped a Nissan Pathfinder in the back of a Route 17 hotel at about 2 a.m. Thursday, they found “several decks of heroin” in the driver’s seat. While police were interviewing the four people in the car, the two in the front seats simultaneously ran in opposite directions, Batelli said. 

One ran toward the Ramapo River and the other toward a truck stop on Route 17, he said. Both were apprehended by Mahwah officers and all four were transported to police headquarters, Batelli said. 

In the car, all four had provided false identification to police, he said.

The two who ran were identified as brothers William and Nicholas Stokes, 32 and 33 respectively, from Oak Ridge, police said. William Stokes, the front seat passenger, was in possession of heroin, a hypodermic needle, and Suboxone, a synthetic opioid, police said. He was charged with possession, eluding an officer, and hindering apprehension, Batelli said.

Nicholas, the driver, was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, eluding an officer, and hindering apprehension, Batelli said.

Nicholas has previously served eight years in jail on strong arm robbery charges, police said.

William and Nicholas were remanded to the Morris County Correctional Facility and Essex County Jail, respectively, for outstanding warrants, police said.

Accoridng to Batelli, one of the backseat passengers, Christine Engelhardt, 22, of Stockholm and Pompano Beach, Fla., was found with heroin and a hypodermic needle.

Engelhardt, who has served time for robbery and burglary, was charged with possession and hindering apprehension, Batelli said.

The fourth occupant of the car, Jimmy Elmezaen, 26, of Lake Hopatcong, was charged with hindering apprehension for providing a false ID to officers, police said.