A Clifton police officer tackled a 20-year-old Bronx man early Thursday morning after chasing him from a Route 46 car dealership, through a residential yard, and into a nearby intersection following a report of two suspicious men prowling the property. Elian Regalado-Vega now faces burglary, weapons-tool, and resisting-arrest charges, while a suspect fled in a dark-colored vehicle, leaving Regalado-Vega behind.
According to Daily Voice, multiple Clifton police officers responded to Fette Auto on Route 46 at about 4:13 a.m. Thursday after receiving a report, per Officer Robert Anderson, of two suspicious men walking around the dealership property. Fette Auto Group operates a multi-brand complex along Route 46 East in Clifton that includes Fette Ford, Fette Kia, and Fette Infiniti sales and service facilities, according to Fette Auto Group.
Officer David Konarzewski ultimately tackled Regalado-Vega at the intersection of Donnalin Place and Scott Terrace, the outlet reports. Officers Alberto Perez and Miguel Aquino then helped take him into custody. The outlet reports that Konarzewski and Perez pursued Regalado-Vega on foot before Konarzewski tackled him.
What Police Say Regalado-Vega Was Carrying
Per Clifton police, Regalado-Vega carried a vehicle master key, a window-punch glass-breaking tool, and a screwdriver at the time of his arrest. Those items form the basis of two of his charges: possession of a vehicle master key and possession of burglar's tools, in addition to burglary for allegedly entering a secured area of the dealership property and resisting arrest by flight.
Under New Jersey statute N.J.S.A. 2C:5-6, knowingly possessing a motor vehicle master key or key-fob bypass device without lawful authorization is a fourth-degree crime carrying up to 18 months in prison and fines as high as $10,000, according to The Law Offices of Anthony Carbone. Separately, N.J.S.A. 2C:5-5 classifies possession of burglar's tools — items like window punches or screwdrivers intended for unlawful entry — as either a fourth-degree felony or a disorderly persons offense, per The Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall.
A Statewide Crackdown on Key-Cloning Tools
The master-key charge exists because New Jersey lawmakers moved to close a specific loophole in recent years. In July 2023, Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation explicitly expanding criminal penalties under N.J.S.A. 2C:5-6 to target the possession and distribution of motor vehicle master keys and key-cloning devices used by car theft rings, according to WHYY. The New Jersey State Police Auto Theft Task Force, funded by the state, uses automated license plate recognition technology to help local departments like Clifton's track organized theft groups and stolen vehicles.
The broader statistics suggest the enforcement push may be having an effect. Statewide motor vehicle thefts in New Jersey fell roughly 11 percent, from 16,694 incidents in 2023 to 14,755 in 2024, following expanded enforcement initiatives, according to the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General.
Second Suspect Still Being Sought
Clifton detectives were still working to identify the suspect who fled the dealership lot in a dark-colored vehicle, Daily Voice reports. Whether the two men are connected to any wider regional theft operation, and which specific vehicles on the Fette lot were targeted, remain open questions that Clifton police have not addressed publicly.
The Clifton Police Department, led by Chief of Police Thomas Rinaldi, maintains a Detective Division for public tips, and detectives have asked anyone with information to call 973-470-5908.
Regalado-Vega is pending his first court appearance. He was turned over to the Passaic County Sheriff's Office corrections hub, though Passaic County does not house inmates overnight at its Wayne or Paterson facilities. Instead, adult male pre-trial detainees are transferred to the Bergen County Jail under a regional shared-services agreement, according to the Passaic County Sheriff's Office, which is overseen by Sheriff Thomas Adamo and also provides court security.
