Nutley PD is reminding residents to lock their car doors in the wake of multiple vehicular burglaries and a stolen car reported May 23 at a local residential complex off Washington Ave. Initially, police responded to a call about the theft of a 2011 dark gray Subaru Forester whose owner told officers that the vehicle was missing from their driveway at Cambridge Heights at Nutley. The owner was not sure if the vehicle was locked overnight.
That same day, police said, they returned to the complex in response to multiple calls about vehicles broken into. Those reports totaled 12 at last count, they said.
All vehicles were found to be ransacked, with mostly loose change, wallets and an iPad taken, police said.
Police said the vehicles’ owners discovered items discarded on residents’ lawns or near where the break-ins occurred.
These incidents were reported on the following blocks within the complex: Cheshire Court, Wilshire Court, two on Manchester Drive, three on Coventry Drive, two on Hartford Drive, Regents Drive, Swarthmore Drive and Barclay Drive.
Det. Sgt. Anthony Montanari said that patrol officers in the area spotted a black SUV circling around the complex and attempted to follow the driver who took off along Rt. 21 towards Belleville where they lost track of the vehicle.
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Between May 23 and 29, Nutley PD responded to 15 motor vehicle accidents, 45 medical calls, 18 disputes/ suspicious incidents and these reports:
May 24
Responding to a Washington Ave. gas station on a report of an activated burglar alarm, police found a smashed glass front door and immediately checked the perimeter and interior of the station whose owner estimated the damage at $950. An investigation is ongoing.
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A Carrie Court homeowner reported an act of criminal mischief after noticing that the front pane of a double pane front window had been damaged, possibly by a thrown ball.
May 26
Someone stole a Schwinn black and blue mountain bicycle valued at $400 from behind a shed at a Van Winkle Ave. residence, the homeowner told police. In its place, the homeowner said they found an abandoned Magna mountain bike in their rear yard. Officers secured that bike at the police garage at HQ.
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A River Road homeowner reported that someone slashed the front right tire of their vehicle, costing them $226 for a replacement, police said.
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A vandal punctured tires on two vehicles parked on Faber Place, police said. Both vehicles were also spray painted in black and gold. Detectives are questioning possible suspects.
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Three vehicles, two signs and a fence on Lloyd St. were damaged by a fallen tree limb struck by lightning during a severe thunderstorm, police said. A township shade tree crew cleared the area of debris.
May 28
Laura Jacobs, 39, of Nutley, was arrested on Franklin Ave. for outstanding warrants from Belleville and Newark, police said. She was released pending new court dates in both communities.
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A Walnut St. homeowner answered the doorbell only to find no one there but noticed that someone had thrown several eggs at the front of their house, police said.
May 29
Officers responded to a Chestnut Place location after getting a call that a shirtless man was walking around while yelling obscenities. The man told police he had walked there from Paterson but could not tell them specifically where he was going. Police arrested the man, identified as Kwame Kemp, 34, of Paterson, for two active warrants from Paterson and a child support warrant from the Passaic County Sheriff ’s Office, which sent two officers to take custody of Kemp.
– Ron Leir
