Burglary/Theft

East Rutherford

On June 5, at approximately 8:20 p.m., a man and woman came to headquarters to report a theft that occurred at the Landmark on Route 17 South. On April 28 they were having a wedding reception and during the reception they went to the bridal suite and found the door to be locked. They knocked and after two minutes an unknown female who hadn’t been invited answered the door. She said she had been looking for her purse. The man told her she didn’t belong there and she quickly left. After entering the bridal suite, the couple found that five purses belonging to the bridesmaids had all had money stolen from them, five wedding present cards with an unknown amount of money had been taken and several presents were missing. The complainants described the woman as being a white female in her late 20s to early 30s with curly dark brown hair weighing approximately 140 pounds. Riverdale Police informed the complainant that they had arrested a woman for similar incidents.

On June 5, at approximately 10:09 a.m., officers responded to a reported burglary on Herrick Street. The burglar appeared to have entered the house by pushing in an air conditioning unit in a ground level window. A $350 amplifier, a computer CPU, two 24 karat gold rings, 2 pairs of earrings valued at $800, a bracelet and a gold necklace were all stolen from the living room and master bedroom.

On June 3, at approximately 9:17 p.m., a man stated someone entered his vehicle and removed a combined stereo GPS device valued at $1,500 while it was parked on Meadowlands Plaza Drive.

On June 3, at approximately 7:10 p.m., a man reported that he saw a vehicle get broken into on Route 3 East. According to the complainant, a black Lincoln Navigator pulled alongside a parked car and the driver looked inside. He then backed his car up, got out of the vehicle while holding what appeared to be a pipe and popped open the driver’s side door lock. The man entered the car, took several items and fled in the Lincoln. The complainant copied down the license plate number and a check revealed the car to be stolen. The owner of the broken-into car stated a $650 GPS unit and $120 sunglasses were stolen.

On June 3, at approximately 10:54 a.m., a man reported that someone broke into his car while it was parked in the Residence Inn parking lot. He parked the car there on May 21, and when he returned on the day of the report, the passenger’s side door lock had been punched open and a GPS system valued at $350 had been stolen.

Lyndhurst

On June 6, a complainant reported the theft of a Garmin C330 navigation unit from a 2007 Toyota parked on Riverside Avenue. Entry was gained through a broken passenger’s side window.

On June 5, at approximately 6:45 p.m., a Post Avenue resident reported the theft of a $700 stainless steel barbecue grill.

On June 2, at approximately 1:45 p.m., a patron of Spa Lady on Stuyvesant Avenue reported the theft of her Coach purse from her vehicle that was parked in the business’s lot. Access to the vehicle was gained through a smashed passenger’s side window. The purse contained credit cards and personal items.

North Arlington

On June 3, at approximately 2:44 p.m., a victim reported a forced entry to a residence on Eagle Street off of Riverview Avenue. While in the house, the victim heard the garage door open and found an unidentified dark Hispanic male in his 20s. The man was described as 5-feet-11-inches, tall with a stocky build and was holding the victim’s 2007 Suzuki GSX motorcycle in the victim’s driveway at the curb line. When the victim spotted the actor, the actor dropped the motorcycle and entered a dark green pickup truck and fled south. The motorcycle received minor damage when the actor dropped it. Police were unable to locate the actor or the vehicle.

Rutherford

On May 27, at approximately 3:42 p.m., a complainant reported a friend who had been staying with him had stolen his ATM card from his wallet and used it to charge $200 worth of goods in Rutherford. Police located and arrested 20-year-old Rutherford resident Oswald "Lee" Martinez on charges of theft of credit card and fraud. He was issued a summons and released.

On June 5, at approximately 5:05 p.m., a Woodland Avenue resident reported a break-in occurred sometime between June 4 and 5. The master bedroom had been ransacked and jewelry was taken. Police determined the suspect gained entry through a side door without using any force.

On June 5, at approximately 5:13 p.m., a man on West Passaic Avenue reported a burglary to his home. Police found that unknown persons had pushed in a first-floor window screen and proceeded upstairs to the bedroom, where they ransacked the drawers and made off with two Dell laptop computers, a Sony digital camera, jewelry and a pillowcase. The owner did not have an exact monetary value of the stolen items.

On June 6, at approximately 7:47 p.m., police received an anonymous call about a burglarized vehicle parked on the Terrace. Officers found a 2003 Honda with its driver’s side window shattered and left a note for the owner. When he responded to the station, the owner reported an unknown person had stolen a Magellan GPS navigation device.

On June 7, at approximately 11:59 a.m., a person at the Rutherford Public Library reported a male subject stole his cell phone. Police searched the nearby area and apprehended 18-year-old Rutherford resident Ronald Mejia, who matched the description given by the victim. Mejia initially claimed the victim gave him permission to place a call with the phone, but admitted to taking it and throwing it in a grassy area on Lincoln Avenue when he heard police sirens. Mejia and another Rutherford man, 20-year-old Oswald Martinez, were both arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit theft and theft. Mejia was also charged with evidence destruction. Both men were issued summonses and released.

On June 7, at approximately 11:50 p.m., a woman on Riverview Avenue noticed an unknown male removing flowers from her yard. She yelled at the suspect, then called police. The male fled in a white, older-model pickup truck with another older male. He reportedly got away with two flower trays worth approximately $15.

Criminal Mischief

Lyndhurst

On June 8, at approximately 9:30 a.m., a 6th Avenue resident reported that three tires had been slashed to a 2007 Toyota.

On June 2, police received a total of eight calls from complainants that had parked near the corner of Freeman Street and Ridge Road. In every incident, the complainants reported that the tires on their vehicles had been slashed.

On June 1, a Stuyvesant Avenue resident reported that the rear window had been broken on a 2007 Hyundai. Nothing was missing from within the vehicle.

Rutherford

On June 6, at approximately 6:23 p.m., police received reports of vandalism to a primary election sign located at Rutherford High School. Unknown persons wrote "Bush sucks" on the sign.

On June 7, at approximately 12:50 a.m., a man returning to his 1988 Ford pickup parked on West Erie Avenue found that unknown persons had pelted the truck with eggs. The man stated the same thing had happened to his vehicle and his friend’s vehicle two weeks ago in East Rutherford.

On June 7, at approximately 12:52 a.m., a friend of the man from the previous incident reported unknown persons had thrown approximately two dozen eggs at his 2003 Mitsubishi parked on Springfield Avenue.

DWI

East Rutherford

On June 4, at approximately 1:15 a.m., an officer observed a car traveling in the right lane of Route 17 South. The car was swerving back and forth and caused a tractor-trailer to swerve into the left lane to avoid a collision. The vehicle then began speeding along Stanley Street and nearly struck a Federal Reserve vehicle, causing it to pull to the side of the road. The officer activated his lights and the car came to a stop after one more turn onto Ann Street. The officer approached the driver, 28-year-old Min Kwak of East Rutherford, and asked for his license, registration and insurance. Kwak fumbled through several papers and then handed the officer only his insurance card. The officer asked a second time and Kwak handed him his license but not his registration. Kwak then asked, "What did I do wrong?" The officer smelled alcohol and observed Kwak’s eyes to be watery and bloodshot. Kwak admitted to having had several beers when asked. Kwak failed several field sobriety tests and was taken to headquarters and charged with DWI.

On June 2, at approximately 1:17 a.m., an officer observed a car traveling westbound on Paterson Ave. at 42 mph in a 25-mph zone. The officer followed. The car made a left onto Oak Street and began traveling on the left side of the road for half the block until it swerved to the right and hit the curb. The officer activated his lights and the car struck the curb a second time and pulled to a stop on the sidewalk. The officer spoke with the driver, 22-year-old Christopher DeCarlo of Rutherford, and asked for his license and paperwork. DeCarlo apologized, admitted to making a mistake and asked for the officer to give him a break because he only lived around the corner. The officer asked two more times for DeCarlo’s license and paperwork and DeCarlo finally produced only his license. The officer smelled alcohol on his breath, saw his eyes were bloodshot and watery and noticed an open bottle of rum on the floor. The driver said he had had half the bottle and six or seven beers. DeCarlo failed several field sobriety tests. During the tests, the officer observed a white powder substance on DeCarlo’s nostrils and when he placed him under arrest and searched him, found a clear plastic baggie with a white powder substance in it. DeCarlo said it was coke and that he had snorted it. DeCarlo was arrested and charged with DWI and CDS possession.

North Arlington

On June 4, at approximately 6:57 p.m., police received a report of a hit and run accident on Melrose Avenue. Witnesses observed a Nissan Sentra back down the street and strike several parked vehicles, including a Toyota Camry. A witness in the area attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver, 41-year-old Anne Davt of North Arlington continued to flee, striking vehicles as she backed down Melrose Avenue. Officers located the vehicle on Garden Terrace off of Ridge Road and observed damage to Davt’s mirror and long scrape marks and damage along the side of the car. Officers also saw a side view mirror on the driver’s side floor of the vehicle that Davt had knocked off of a white Lincoln on Melrose Avenue. Another officer went to Melrose Avenue and observed a Jeep Grand Cherokee with Fender damage that matched the scrapes and located a white Lincoln without a driver’s side mirror. Police went to Garden Terrace and a witness pointed out Davt and her vehicle. She left the vehicle and attempted to enter her apartment. Police stopped her and said she appeared disoriented and detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage on her breath. She was arrested for driving while intoxicated and a search of her handbag found a partially consumed bottle of Absolut Vodka in her purse. She was issued summonses and released to a responsible party.

Miscellaneous

Lyndhurst

On June 8, a Post Avenue resident was issued a summons for letting an unlicensed Pit Bull run at large.

On June 5, at approximately 6:11 p.m., police stopped 49-year-old Stephen Calandra of New Milford on a motor vehicle violation. Once issued a summons, he crumpled the ticket, through it out of the vehicle and proceeded to drive off. Police chased Calandra to Wood Ridge where he finally pulled over. He was arrested and charged with eluding police and was issued summonses for speeding and reckless driving.

Trespassing

Rutherford

On June 7, at approximately 11:45 a.m., police responded to the Blimpie’s sandwich shop on Park Avenue after the business reported 48-year-old Newark resident James Webster was on the premises. Webster, who had been previously asked to leave, was reportedly attempting to sell cologne to patrons. Webster was arrested and charged with trespassing and soliciting without a permit. He was released on a summons.