Dec. 19
At 4:51 p.m., police were sent to Popeye’s Restaurant on Passaic Ave. on a report of an unruly person who had entered the store and would not leave the premises.
Police said the store manager told them that after entering the store, the person began rummaging through the interior garbage bins and disrupting other patrons.
Police said the store manager asked the person to leave several times but he refused to do so and even after the responding officers repeated the requested, the man declined. Sean Wiley, in his 20s, of Maplewood, was placed under arrest for trespassing.
At 10:07 p.m., police were dispatched to a Kearny residence to meet with a victim of a robbery, which occurred 15 minutes earlier in Harrison.
Upon arrival, the victim told police he was punched from behind by a Hispanic male wearing a red jacket near 525 Davis Ave., causing him to fall to the ground, and at this point, two other males rifled through his pockets and removed an Android cellular phone valued at $250.
Police said the three assailants were last seen running through West Hudson Park, in the direction of Kearny Ave.
Dec. 18
At 2:29 p.m., police responded to Radio Shack on Bergen St. on a report of shoplifting, where an individual was able to make off with a 16 gigabyte iPad Air valued at $500.
The store manager told officers that at 12:07 p.m., a man had entered the store carrying a duffel bag and, after a few minutes, he made a phone call and stated, “Girlfriend come inside.”
Soon after, police said, another man – an apparent accomplice – entered the store. By this time, police said, the manager had entered the back storage area of the store and began observing the two parties by surveillance camera.
Police said the second suspect called the store clerk over to him and began to ask her questions about an item in the store and, while she was distracted, the first suspect reached over the unsupervised counter, opened the display and removed two iPads from inside.
After doing so, the first suspect attempted to leave the store but was stopped by the manager who asked him to return what she thought was only one iPad and he did so, police said. After a few more minutes had passed, police said, the second suspect left the store without purchasing anything.
After observing the display case, the manager realized what had happened and then reviewed the surveillance footage and noticed the actor removing the second iPad.
The first suspect was described as white, of slender build, in his mid-40s, about 5 feet-10, and between 180 to 200 pounds.
The second suspect was listed as white, obese, with gray hair, in his early 50s, about 5-feet-five, weighing between 200 to 210 pounds.
Both suspects were last seen walking toward S. Fifth St., police said.
Dec. 17
At 7:04 p.m., a man entered headquarters to report a theft. Police said he told them that he’d placed his bicycle at the bike rack at the PATH station at 8 a.m. but that when he returned at 6 p.m., the bike was gone.
The man told police that he’d chained and locked the bicycle on the rack and that the chain and lock were also missing.
Police described the missing bike as a Mongoose, 21 speed cruiser with a white, blue and black frame, with a bicycle rack attached to the rear, a protective red cover for the horn and a white bag covering the seat. The bicycle is valued at $350.
Dec. 16
At 7 a.m., police responded to a building undergoing some work on the 300 block of Somerset St. on a report of a theft.
Police said a supervisor told them that the circuit breakers that were installed at the job site were taken from the electrical box over the weekend.
One or more individuals apparently entered the electrical room located near the Somerset St. entrance of the building and removed the circuit breakers from inside the electrical box, police said.
Police said that the box was not vandalized but that the box’s front cover was removed, along with the circuit breakers. The box cover was lying on the circuit box. The estimated amount of the property taken is valued at $3,000, police said.
