HOBOKEN - Keys were left inside the police SUV that a man stole before crashing into the Hoboken Terminal during the Monday morning rush hour commute, officials said.
Around 8 a.m. Santiago Brito-Avalos, a Mexican national, exited a Hoboken-bound train from Suffern, New York. He walked through a "restricted" NJ Transit parking lot and began opening police vehicles to see if any were unlocked, NJ Transit spokeswoman Lisa Torbic said.
Santiago found an unlocked K-9 SUV with spare keys inside and then drove the vehicle through the doors leading to the station's waiting room. Authorities have not found any indication that Santiago intended to hurt anyone, she said.
Authorities do not believe the incident was an act of terrorism.
Police arrived at the scene and Santiago refused to unlock the door. Officers had to break a passenger's window to remove him and place him into custody, Torbic added.
Santiago has been charged with risk of causing widespread injury or harm, theft of movable property, impersonation a law enforcement officer, and two counts of burglary.
As of late Monday afternoon, Santiago remained in NJ Transit custody and is expected to be transported to the Hudson County jail later in the day. NJ Transit is still investigating why a set of keys was left inside the vehicle, Torbic said.
Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.