Manhunt after alleged car thief crashes stolen SUV into Rye police cruiser

RYE, Westchester County (WABC) -- Two alleged car thieves are under arrest after police say one of them slammed a stolen car right into a police cruiser.

Authorities say the suspects are from New Jersey and were caught in Westchester County after an alert neighbor spotted suspicious activity and alerted police around 2:45 a.m. Wednesday.

The two drivers were taken into custody in Rye, but an exhaustive manhunt for two possible passengers yielded no arrests.

The two facing charges are 25 and 17 years old, and police say they traveled to the area in a stolen Infiniti. They were apparently attempting to steal a Lexus SUV from a Johnson Place driveway when authorities say a resident noticed the suspicious activity and called police.

They say the fleeing Lexus then crashed into a responding police vehicle and overturned. The driver was extricated and arrested, while the Infiniti drove around the crash and traveled down a street with no outlet, police say.

That driver was taken into custody, and a loaded .40-caliber handgun was recovered during the arrest of the second suspect.

It's believed there was one, possibly two others in the car.

Despite an exhaustive search with helicopters, K-9 units and officers using handheld heat seeking devices, the suspect or suspects got away.

The search was called off when police believed they were out of the immediate area.

Rye Neck Middle and High School students were being kept inside as a precaution.