Aside from 37 traffic investigations and 52 medical calls, the Nutley Police Department also responded to these incidents during the past week:
Sept. 6
Police found an intoxicated man on the ground in front of a Franklin Ave. fast food establishment. Police said the man was responsive but could not walk and was taken by ambulance to Clara Maass Medical Center for evaluation.
Sept. 7
Someone swiped a boy’s bicycle from a backyard on Roma St. The bike was described as a dark blue 20-inch GT Performer BMX style, valued at about $300.
Sept. 8
The owner of a truck towed from a local church parking lot told police that the vehicle was damaged during its transport on a flatbed to a residence in Somerset. Checking the vehicle after the tow, the owner said its bed cover was missing, it had several dents and scratches to the roof, front bumper and driver’s side of the vehicle. The tow driver told police the damage likely occurred after the vehicle was delivered.
Sept. 9
Police said a counterfeit bill was passed at a Franklin Ave. eatery. The owner told police a man ordered a milkshake and tried to pay for it with a fake $100 bill. The owner told the patron he was going to get change but went to an office to call police. When he returned, the milkshake was left on the counter but the man was gone. Police said the man was described as African- American, 5-feet-seven, 170 pounds, with short black hair, wearing a hooded striped polo sweater, light blue jeans and sneakers. Twice before in the past two months, the same individual had used $250 in counterfeit bills, the owner told police. Police confirmed the $100 bill was fake.
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Having been alerted to a burglary on Grant Ave., officers were patrolling in the area of Grant and Washington Aves. when they were waved down by a passerby who told them a “suspicious” man was at Grant and River Road. When police arrived there, they said they found a man matching descriptions given by the passerby and from a witness to the prior burglary walking on River Road. After learning that the individual was wanted on warrants from Harrison, Belleville, Montville and Rutherford, police arrested Raymond Adames, 50, of Newark, who, they said, had a screwdriver on him. After he couldn’t post bail, Adames was turned over to Harrison PD.
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The owner of a vehicle parked on River Road reported that after having come out of work and entering their vehicle, noticed that the glove box and center console had been opened with the contents dumped on the passenger seat and floor.
Sept. 10
A Bloomfield Ave. business owner reported getting a bad check for about $125. The owner reached out to the check payer who reportedly assured the owner they’d return with the money but never did, police said. Police tried to locate the individual without success.
Sept. 11
Police said a motor vehicle investigation resulted in the arrest of Martin Lucas, 48, of Newark, on a charge of possession of a white rocky substance believed to be crack cocaine. During a search of Lucas at HQ , police said they found a partly-smoked cigar that smelled of burnt marijuana and which, upon a closer look, was found to be filled with a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana. After both substances tested positive for crack cocaine and marijuana, police charged Lucas with possession of marijuana, possession of crack cocaine and one count of drug distribution. Lucas also had five outstanding traffic warrants from Nutley and East Orange. He was placed in Essex County Jail after failing to post bail of $25,000 with a 10% cash option.
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A Pauline Drive resident reported someone stole her daughter’s bicycle from the side of the house. It was listed as a ladies’ pink, 10-speed Schwinn bike valued at about $200. The resident told police they saw a late 1990s model black Toyota Pathfinder pulling away from the house with a man and woman, possibly Ecuadorian or Peruvian, inside.
Sept. 12
Police responded to a Park Ave. location on a report of an attempted theft. The resident told police that after hearing their dog begin barking loudly, they went to the window and saw a light-skinned male, possibly Latino, wearing a black hoodie type shirt and blue shorts, at the rear of the building near a bicycle parking area, remove the resident’s bike and begin walking toward Park Ave. with it. The victim went outside and found the intruder trying to get the tire lock off the bike. After the resident yelled at him, the stranger dropped the bike and ran to a waiting truck described as a newer style black Ford F-150 with two people inside which drove off. Police couldn’t locate the truck or the occupants.
– Ron Leir
