Jan. 12
At 3.10 p.m. Officers on patrol observed a man walking on the 600 block Washington Ave. openly drinking a container of beer. The man, Mario Perez, 42, of Belleville was issued a town summons for drinking in public.
Jan. 11
At 8:58 a.m. a victim stated that he had parked his 1998 red, four door Mazda in front of 36 Watchung Ave. When he went to move the vehicle to allow for street cleaning, he noticed that the vehicle was missing. The vehicle was recovered later that day in Newark.
At 4:11 p.m. a resident at 2 Elana Pl. contacted police to report that his 2005 white Ford van was missing. The owner explained that he had loaned the vehicle to an employee who had later called him to tell him that the vehicle was taken. Luckily, an onboard GPS system pointed police in the direction of Jersey City where the vehicle was later recovered.
At 6:52 p.m. a gas attendant at the Pit Stop gas station, 190 Franklin Ave., called police to alert them to a strong-arm robbery that had just occurred at the station. The attendant told police that he noticed a man walked towards him. When he entered the store, he asked the attendant for change for the soda machine. He returned a moment asking for cigarettes. When the attendant turned his back to fetch the cigarettes, he noticed that the man was going through his cash drawer. When he turned around to confront the thief, the man yelled, “Give me your money” and forcibly took $120 off of the attendant’s person before fleeing. Police describe the suspect as black, 6”2” tall and 180 lbs. He was last seen wearing black pants, black jacket and a black hat. Police are investigating.
At 7:22 p.m. a man contacted police to report an attempted burglary at his Cedar Hill Ave home. The man’s sister stated that her brother had left the house at 5:45 p.m. When he returned, he noticed that a patio chair had been moved on an attached deck. He also noticed that a window was now open and a screen was down. No evidence of entry was found, and nothing was discovered missing.
Jan. 9
At 9:43 p.m. a police unit patrolling Franklin St. noticed a male suspect suspiciously looking through parked car windows. After they interviewed John Sanchez, 25, of Kearny they discovered that he carried a $100 warrant out of Newark. He was released on his own recognizance.
Jan 8
At 8:17 a.m. an employee coming off of the overnight shift at the Clara Maass Professional Building reported that his red 1996 Honda Civic 2-door incurred damage in what was likely an attempt to steal it. The victim noted that the passenger window and door lock had sustained damage, and that the steering column showed signs of tampering.
At 9:40 a.m. the owner of a beige 2008 Nissan Pathfinder reported that someone had attempted to steal the vehicle from a parking lot where he had left it since Jan. 5. The owner stated that the driver’s side window was in the down position. He added that the door lock and ignition had also been tampered with.
At 11:35 a.m. police were summoned to the Pathmark at 115 Belmont Ave. on a shoplifting complaint. Store detectives reported that they observed the suspect, 37-year-old Agustin Camacho of Newark stuff eight cans of baby formula into a laundry bag and proceed towards the door where they detained him until police arrived. Camacho was transported to headquarters and charged with shoplifting. He is being held on $500 bail at the County Jail.
At 4:57 p.m. police observed a white Dodge van moving at a high rate of speed. The vehicle was stopped at the intersection of Heckle and Brook Sts. Police found that the driver, William L. Benenato, 43, from Lincoln Pk. was driving with a suspended license. He was charged with careless driving and driving while suspended and released on $50 bail.
At 8:04 p.m. the owner of a rare 1986 Buick Grand National black 2-door called police to report that the car had been stolen while it was parked in front of the Providence Bar at Heckle and Jeraldo Sts. According to the victim, the robbery occurred somewhere between 4:30 – 8:04. The victim claimed that the Grand National, considered highly collectible, is worth in excess of $85,000.
