Jury declines to charge N.J. cop in stolen car chase that ended in fatal crash

A police officer won't face charges for chasing a stolen car that crashed into multiple vehicles, killing a 33-year-old man inside one of the automobiles.

A state grand jury on Monday declined to charge Marlboro police Sgt. Greg Arrone in connection to the Nov.

9, 2022, crash that killed Arturo Tlapa-Luna, of Freehold[1], the New Jersey Attorney General's Office said Friday.

Tlapa-Luna was the driver in a vehicle also occupied by his wife, father and two daughters, all of whom were severely injured but survived the crash. Since the crash, the family has said it considered filing a lawsuit in the case.

The car involved was stolen out of New Brunswick on Oct.

23, 2022. Samuel Villar, 20, of Somerset, and an unidentified 17-year-old traveled to Marlboro in the vehicle and were allegedly trying to burglarize cars, the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office and the Old Bridge Police Department previously said.

Villar, who was 19 at the time of the crash, pleaded guilty to charges in the case and was sentenced last month to 12 years in prison, a term served under the No Early Release Act.

The sergeant pursued Villar and his passenger in the stolen car after it was spotted. The chase ended when it crashed into the other vehicles on Route 9 south in Old Bridge in the area of Spring Valley Road shortly after 2 a.m. that day.

State law requires the Attorney General's Office to investigate the deaths during encounters with police.

During its investigation, the office released video of the crash, which shows police dash-cam footage recorded at the time the stolen vehicle sped through a red traffic light, colliding with oncoming cars.

The chase spanned nine miles, lasted more than seven minutes, and reached speeds of over 100 mph, authorities say.

Richard Lomurro, the attorney hired by Tlapa-Luna's family, said last January he filed tort claim notices with Marlboro, the state, Monmouth County, Old Bridge Township, and Middlesex County.

In doing so, the family was considering a lawsuit in connection to the crash.

It was unclear Friday if litigation has been filed.

A message for Lomurro left by NJ Advance Media was not immediately returned.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.[2]

Eric Conklin may be reached at [email protected].[3]

References

1. ^ Marlboro police Sgt. Greg Arrone in connection to the Nov.

   9, 2022, crash that killed Arturo Tlapa-Luna, of Freehold (www.nj.com)

2. ^ NJ.com (www.nj.com)
3. ^ [email protected] (www.nj.com)