May 1
A 2008 Mazda that had been stolen from Belleville on April 18 was recovered at 217 Stevens St. at 10:24 a.m.
At 1:30 p.m., officers patrolling Watchung Ave. noticed three suspicious looking individuals “peering down driveways” in what appeared as an attempt to “case” each residence. When one man stopped at 97 Watchung Ave. to look over a fence, police stopped him and his associates and conducted a field investigation. One of the men initially gave a phony name to the officers. It was eventually learned that he carried a no-bail warrant from the Essex County Sheriff ’s Dept., as well as two $125 Newark warrants. Mustopolis P. Alexander, 36, of Newark was arrested for those warrants and for hindering apprehension by disguising his identity. He was transferred to the county jail where his bail was set at $5000. The other two men checked out okay and were released.
April 30
A rash of thefts were reported at Belleville middle school, 279 Washington Ave. Articles missing from broken gym lockers included a backpack, sneakers, and uniforms. Police are investigating.
A burglary occurred at 35 Reservoir Pl., at 11:34 a.m. Police responded to the scene on a report of an “unfamiliar male attempting to enter residence.” When they arrived, they observed a young male standing inside the rear porch attempting to gain entry via an interior door. They detained him while they investigated. The resident told police that she had made two prior burglary reports on April 26 and 27. Officers asked the woman if she was familiar with the man who they had just intercepted. She said that she wasn’t, and had no idea why he was there. Police found a “gold-colored key” in the man’s possession. It fit the interior door’s former lock, which had been in use during the two prior burglaries. The juvenile, a 15-year-old from Belleville was arrested for attempted burglary.
Belleville School # 7 was burglarized sometime during the weekend period of April 27 – 30 when the building was closed. After a custodian noticed that a motion sensor alarm had been tripped, he found an open window on the school’s second floor and contacted police. When police arrived they conducted a “walk through” and noticed that nothing appeared to be out of place. Later, a teacher found that a Plexiglas bathroom window had been pushed out of its frame, thus providing an entry-point for intruders. Police are investigating.
At 1:11 a.m., officers patrolling the area of Passaic Ave. and Joralemon St. noticed a male coming from the area of Belleville School #7. When the man was asked where he was headed, he answered “East Orange,” which contradicted his direction of travel. He then claimed that he was headed to a friend’s house – also in an opposite direction. The man claimed that he wasn’t carrying identification, but police found a N.J. State Identification card in his wallet that he claimed was “his friend’s.” Further investigation revealed that the card was in fact his and that the man carried an Essex County Sheriff ’s Dept. no bail warrant, as well as warrants from Seaside Heights, $599, and Newark, $200. David Bell, 22, of Bloomfield was arrested for outstanding warrants and charged with hindering apprehension for supplying a false name. He was transported to the county jail.
April 29
Police patrolling the area of 478 Union Ave. observed a man wearing dark clothing walking along the sides of several vehicles. They noticed that he “glided his hand along” each vehicle’s doors in an apparent attempt to locate one that was unlocked. After unsuccessfully trying to gain access into two separate vehicles, he noticed the patrol unit and began to walk swiftly from the area. The man was stopped and questioned. Brian A. Moore, 25, of Belleville was arrested for attempted burglary.
-Jeff Bahr
