The 19-year-olds from Fort Lauderdale, Fl., are suspected of being members of the "Felony Lane Gang."
La'Quez Boyd (L.) and Tony Spells (R.) WYCKOFF -- Two Florida men, suspected of being members of a gang tied to recent car break-ins in North Jersey, were arrested Monday, police said.
Tony D. Spells and La'Quez Boyd, both 19 and from Fort Lauderdale, FL., were arrested after they fled police and crashed in Upper Saddle River, Wyckoff Police Chief David V. Murphy said Tuesday.
On Monday morning, Wyckoff police were called to the YMCA on Wyckoff Avenue on reports of several vehicles being broken into and items stolen.
At the same time, police in Allendale gave chase to a car after the driver failed to stop for a motor vehicle violation, Murphy said. As the vehicle fled, the occupants in the car were seen throwing items from the window.
The vehicle matched a vehicle caught on surveillance footage outside the YMCA, according to Murphy. The duo was later apprehended after they crashed the vehicle and fled on foot in Upper Saddle River, he said.
Last week, the Bergen County Prosecutor warned North Jersey residents about a Florida gang that was targeting YMCA's, gyms and county parks in a scheme to steal financial information.
The "Felony Lane Gang" is behind a number of car break-ins, Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal warned in a Facebook post Friday.
The organized burglary and theft crew have been breaking into unattended cars to steal identification and financial documents, Grewal said. The crew then tries to use the information to withdraw money from bank accounts or make purchases on credit cards.
Over the last several months, robberies have been reported at Saddle Brook County Park, New York Sports Club in Wyckoff and the Park Ridge Tennis Academy, as well as various other places throughout the county, officials said.
Both Spells and Boyd are suspected of being members of the gang, Murphy said. They were both charged with three counts of burglary and three counts of theft. They are both being held on $25,000 bail with no 10 percent option at the Bergen County Jail. Both men also face additional charges out of Allendale and Upper Saddle River.
Fausto Giovanny Pinto may be reached at fpinto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @FGPreporting. Find NJ.com on Facebook.