‘Dine ‘n dash’ from Clifton Applebee’s turns into wild police chase

CLIFTON — A "dash and dine" from a North Jersey restaurant turned into a wild 10-mile police chase that ended at an elementary school on Wednesday night.

Two men and two women left the Applebee's on Route 3 on foot about 6:30 p.m without paying their bill, according to Clifton police. The two men were nabbed at the restaurant but the women exited the shopping area.

Police stopped their Toyota Prius but there was confusion by police over their identities because they were wearing wigs, officials said. Police said the car took off and dragged an officer 50 feet with his arm still inside the window.

Police said the women — driver Chante Royal, 19, of Montclair, and Jasmine Ramsey, 18, of Orange —took off at high speed east on Route 3, went south on the New Jersey Turnpike's eastern spur and east on Route 280. During the pursuit, police crashed into another vehicle.

Royal and Ramsey exited Route 280 at Bergen Avenue in Kearny and  crashed into a vehicle, according to police. Despite front-end damage, they kept going onto a dead end street and finally trapped themselves in a school yard, police said.

Royal was charged with aggravated assault with a weapon, eluding, aggravated assault on police, robbery, and drug-related charges while Ramsey was charged with theft of services.

Dellmicah Dennis, 18, of East Orange, was charged with theft of services.

Damian Negron, 18, of Montclair, was charged with theft of service and hindering appearance.