By Karen Zautyk
NUTLEY —
There are thieves, and then there are thieves who give thieves a bad name. One of that species paid a visit to town Sept. 16, when police responded to a call from a Prospect St. church.
At about 2:45 p.m., a witness observed a man trying to remove money from a donation box. The culprit, described as a white or Hispanic male aged 30-40, appeared to be using some sort of wire in an attempt to pull out the bills, police said.
When he realized he was being watched, he fled the premises and was last seen driving off in a dark-colored vehicle operated by a female companion.
We all know the economy has tanked, but stealing from the poor box?
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Other reports from the Nutley PD blotter for the week ending Sept. 23 included, but were not limited to, the following:
Sept. 16
9:20 a.m. — A Hopper Ave resident reported that he had received a call from a law firm requesting payment on an overdue account. The resident, who had no knowledge of the account, also was ordered to appear in court and was given a docket number. Police advised the individual to appear as scheduled in an effort to ascertain who may have opened and used the account.
12:55 p.m. — A Rutgers Ave. resident who sells items on eBay via consignment had a disagreement with a Newark client who allegedly made threats against the seller. Police contacted the client, who was advised that the matter was being handled in civil court.
2:15 p.m. — A motor vehicle stop on Franklin Ave. resulted in several summonses being issued to the driver, including operating an unregistered car and driving with a suspended license. The vehicle was impounded.
3:26 p.m. — Several cans of chemicals were spilled by a local tow company transporting the cargo on Passaic Ave. HazMat officers responded to the scene and cleaned up the area.
9:11 p.m. — A customer at a Centre St. liquor store reportedly stole the cashier’s $300 cell phone from the counter. The cashier didn’t realize the phone had been taken until he was reviewing surveillance video and saw the thief swipe it as he was leaving. The suspect was described as a black male in his early 20s wearing a black, hooded sweatshirt with yellow lettering.
Sept. 17
2:07 a.m. — Police stopped a black Honda traveling at 90 mph on Rt. 21 and found the driver, Jayquan Schratz, 26, of Passaic, to be wanted on four warrants: three from Passaic and one out of Clifton. He was able to post the required amount and was released.
2:12 a.m. — A Park Ave. motor vehicle stop led to the arrest of a passenger, 18-year-old Daryl Stewart of Newark, for alleged possession of marijuana, a bag of which was reportedly found in the vehicle. He was charged and released. The driver was issued a summons for operating a car with a faulty headlight.
8:19 a.m. — Criminal mischief was reported on Harrison St., where a resident found that a lamp post on his property had been pulled down and damaged.
Sept. 18
A Nutley woman dropping off clothes in a donation bin reported that she had accidentally dropped her keys inside the container. Efforts to retrieve them were unsuccessful. The charity was contacted, and the keys were recovered and returned to her.
9:30 a.m. — A Bloomfield Ave. resident who had hired a window dealer to perform work at her residence reported that two valuable rings left on a windowsill disappeared while subcontractors were present. Police are investigating.
4:44 p.m. — A McKinley St. resident reported their Ford pick-up had been burglarized. Items valued at several hundred dollars were missing, as were several medications that had been left inside.
Sept. 19
3 p.m. — A Hubert St. resident reported that a man walked into her driveway, took four tires from her property and drove off with them in a u-haul truck. Police are investigating.
9:20 a.m. — A Washington Ave. body shop contacted police when a dispute over repairs ensued. Officers were able to resolve the conflict and advised both parties of their rights to sign complaints.
Sept. 20
8:45 a.m. — A juvenile in a group of middle school students crossing Chestnut St. and Franklin Ave. for gym class allegedly threw something at a passing car, breaking the windshield. Charges are pending.
6:15 p.m. — Police responded to a Bloomfield Ave. ballfield clubhouse after the door was found kicked in. They were unable to determine if the clubhouse had been burglarized, but did observe graffiti on the door.
7:46 p.m. — A passenger getting off a bus on Passaic Ave. fell and injured her ankle and was taken to an area hospital. The woman told police that a hole in the blacktop has caused the mishap.
Sept. 22
2:15 a.m. — When a speeding vehicle on Rt. 21 refused to stop for police, officers followed it into Clifton, where the pursuit ended on a dead-end street. The driver, 29-year-old Wa’keim Davis of Paterson, was arrested and charged with obstruction of justice and was issued summonses for speeding, having an open container of alcohol in the car, failure to produce proof of insurance and driving with a suspended license. Davis, who also was wanted on a $750 Paterson warrant, was being held on $25,000 bail.
6:54 p.m. — A Fernwood Ave. resident reported that several credit cards had been opened in their name without their consent and charges were made on those cards at area stores. Police are investigating possible fraud.
Sept. 23
6:54 a.m. — A traffic stop resulted in the arrest of Tashia Sanders, 24, of Irvington, who was found to be wanted on a $650 Scotch Plains warrant and to be driving with a suspended license. She was later released after posting the required bail.
