2 Arrested After Brookdale Park Vehicle Burglary: Police

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Police arrested two people in connection with a recent vehicle burglary that took place in Brookdale Park, authorities announced Tuesday.

According to the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, the incident unfolded during the early afternoon hours on Monday at the county-run park, which is located in Montclair and Bloomfield.

Here’s what happened, a spokesperson said:

“The Essex County Sheriff’s Office was made aware by a New Jersey Senior Parole Officer that a male parolee who wears an ankle monitor was in the immediate vicinity of Brookdale Park at this time. This parolee has been involved in several investigations regarding burglarized vehicles in Brookdale Park. Following each of these vehicular burglaries, victims have been alerted that their stolen credit cards have been used in nearby Staples and Walgreen’s locations. As our officers continued tracking the male parolee’s ankle monitor, it was determined that he was in the vicinity of the Cedar Grove Staples located at 91 Pompton Avenue.”

Sheriff’s officers arrived to find a black Jeep Grand Cherokee bearing a temporary registration from the state of Georgia parked at the scene. A woman wearing all-black clothing and carrying a red handbag exited the Staples and got into the Jeep, authorities said.

Here’s what happened next, police said:

“After the suspicious Jeep attempted to exit and bypass another vehicle in the parking lot, our officers conducted a routine traffic stop. It was determined that the vehicle’s temporary registration had expired a few days earlier. After asking for the driver’s license, vehicle registration card, and insurance card the driver stated that his driver’s license is currently suspended.”

As this traffic stop was being conducted, central communications were made aware of a vehicular burglary that took place in Brookdale Park around noon, the sheriff’s office said.

The man who called in to report the burglary said he was contacted by his bank following fraudulent transactions made in the Cedar Grove Staples, police said.

“The man’s car was left unlocked with his wallet and credit cards easily accessible,” police said. “Additionally, the man claimed to have spotted a suspicious male in the parking lot when he had parked his vehicle there.”

As officers continued their investigation, the Staples store manager helped them by reviewing store receipts and video surveillance footage, determining that an attempted fraudulent purchase totaling more than $2,000 was made using a credit card stolen from the vehicle burglarized in the parking lot of Brookdale Park.

After viewing the surveillance footage and store receipts, the two people in the black Jeep were arrested and transported to the Essex County Sheriff's Office Central Booking Unit to be processed and charged, authorities said.

On Tuesday, sheriffs officers identified the arrestees as Felix M. Martinez, 40, of Paterson, and Claury R. Rosario, 24, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Both were arrested on multiple charges related to burglary and credit card theft, authorities said.

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