Maplewood Hit by Five Burglaries Last Week

Five homes were burglarized last week, according to the Maplewood Police Department.

On Tuesday, Oct. 16, a Berkley Street resident reported several electronic items were missing.

That same day, a realtor discovered copper pipes were removed from a vacant home on Parker Avenue. 

An Essex Avenue resident told police sometime during the day on Wednesday, Oct. 17, someone entered the house through an unlocked window and removed electronics.

On Friday, Oct. 19, a Union Avenue resident reported someone entered a home by pushing in a window air conditioner. Several electronics and a camera were missing.

A Courter Avenue resident reported someone removed a window to a detached garage and took two bicycles between the afternoon of Oct. 20 and the morning of Oct. 21.

In an interview with Patch on Monday, Capt. John Perna noted many burglaries and robberies are "crimes of opportunity."

Perna said, "If you take away the opportunity, the crime has less of a chance of occurring."

Detective Michael Marucci reminded residents to lock the doors and windows of their homes when they go to bed or leave for the day, and to keep car doors locked.