BELLEVILLE — A township resident woke up to her worst nightmare when she discovered a stranger inside her apartment, according to the Belleville Police Department.
The incident was reported May 19, at about 3:45 a.m., when police responded to a report of a burglary in a residence on the 100 block of Eugene Place.
Police said the victim told them that the intruder grabbed her out of bed and pulled her into a separate room.
Police said the victim’s child was roused from sleep by sounds of her mom struggling with the burglar and ran upstairs to alert his grandfather.
As this was happening, police said, the intruder apparently panicked and fled from the house toward Honiss St. but not before he’d reportedly taken $20 from the victim’s purse.
Police said the suspect is believed to have entered the house through a side door and exited through a basement window.
The suspect was described as a Latino man, in his early 20s, 5-feet-9, 150 pounds, wearing a dark-colored fedora-style hat, a thin mask over his eyes, neon green and black T-shirt and black basketball shorts.
Anyone who may recognize this person, based on the description and artist’s rendering, is asked to call the BPD at 973-450-3361.
With the warm weather season approaching, residents are advised to secure windows and doors during the overnight hours, police said.
Other recent incidents logged by the BPD included these reports:
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The BPD’s Street Crimes Unit executed a narcotics search warrant May 19, at 6 p.m., on the 800 block of Joralemon St.
There, police said, the unit seized, during the search, 152 grams of marijuana, 27 grams of Ecstasy, 68 pills of Oxycodone, 51 Clonazepam pills, 32 ounces of Promethazine with Codeine and eight packs of Smoky Vapes THC oil, along with $6,669 in cash.
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Detectives are continuing to investigate the case of an apparent armed robbery of a local storethat reportedly occurred Sunday, May 14, at about 8:43 p.m., at Pat’s Deli on Newark Ave.
Police said the victim told officers two suspects entered the store and one pointed a long rifle at his face and demanded money.
As the victim was removing cash from the register, a second suspect reportedly slashed him on the side of his face, police said.
Both bandits then fled in an unknown direction, police said.
Police said the man brandishing the gun was described as white, wearing khaki pants, while his accomplice was listed as black, wearing dark clothing and a mask.
The shopkeeper was taken to an area hospital for treatment of his injury and was later released, according to reports.
– Ron Leir
