Rodriguez was later found near Newark Liberty International Airport with his hands cuffed in front of him and with no shoes. McCarthy called the sequence of events early Saturday morning the "perfect storm." Rodriguez, 20, is to be arraigned Tuesday morning.

The Cranbury resident, who has been arrested nine times and has four felony convictions, was charged with aggravated manslaughter, possession of a weapon, auto theft, eluding police and escape, among other charges, police said. Police are also investigating if the stolen vehicle struck the sport utility vehicle driven by veteran Newark police Sgt. Tommaso Popolizio, who died after a high-speed chase.

Popolizio, an East District supervisor, had responded along with other officers to a report of drag racing on Doremus Avenue, a stretch known for illegal street racing, around 4 a.m. Saturday.

Police said he went after Rodriguez, who had been arrested on the scene for possession of a handgun, when the suspect took off in the patrol car. McCarthy said Rodriguez had been left alone in the car for "no more than a moment." Popolizio lost control of his marked sport utility vehicle, which flipped, and he was partially ejected.

Popolizio was taken to University Hospital and died a short time later, police said. McCarthy declined to comment about the chain of events that led to Popolizio's death and whether the suspect should have been left alone. "This was a heroic action by a heroic officer," he said.

Funeral services for Popolizio, 33, a father of four, will be held Wednesday at the Sacred Heart Basilica in Newark. At a press conference, Newark Mayor Cory Booker called him a "cop's cop." "He was the kind of guy who didn't wait to be asked, he stood up and did," Booker said.

Popolizio made a name for himself shortly after joining the force in 1995. He received an award for his valor after he was shot at while chasing a trio of homicide suspects with his partner.