A police chase through a busy shopping center ended with the arrest of two men Tuesday after they used counterfeit cash at the Bergen Town Center, authorities said.
The two New York men, ages 29 and 46, were arrested after officers tracked their van, which had been linked to counterfeit money in River Edge, authorities said.
Officer Matthew Mulick spotted the vehicle leaving a CVS store parking lot around 4:30 p.m. and conducted a traffic stop in Maywood after the driver made an illegal left turn, police said.
A passenger ran, leading Officer Jason Hrbek on a chase through the shopping center and across Route 4 before being caught, police said.
Counterfeit cash was recovered from the man, police said.
Officers took the driver into custody without incident.
Investigators later determined that both men had used counterfeit bills to purchase merchandise at the ALDO store, which sells footwear and accessories.
Both men face theft charges. The man who ran was also charged with eluding police on foot and forgery.
The driver faces multiple motor vehicle violations, including improper left turn and failure to possess a driver’s license, registration, and insurance.
Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.