Police Investigate Six Burglaries, Robberies in Five Days

The Maplewood Police Department have been busy investigating a string of robberies and burglaries in the Township between Aug. 19 and Aug. 23.

On Monday, Aug. 19, a Dodge Caravan was discovered to be stolen from the parking lot of 50 Burnett Ave., according to a police report. The mini-van was recovered a day later in Newark, police said.

That same day, someone had attempted to break into another Dodge Caravan that was parked in the driveway of a Lexington Ave. home. The car sustained damage, consistent with an attempted theft, said Maplewood Police Sgt. Christopher Black.

Around 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 20, a 15 and 16-year old reported that they three males in their late teens robbed them of their cell phones on West Parker Ave, near Dunnell Rd., said Black.

“The actors reportedly requested to use the phones and then began walking away with them,” he said. “One of the actors assaulted one of the juveniles by punch him when the juvenile attempted to follow him to get his phone back. The actors then fled.”

Also on Tuesday, Aug. 20, a Brookwood Drive resident returned home and saw a youth leaving the home with their belongings. The resident and neighbors chased and caught the youth, who police discovered was a 14-year old from Irvington. He was taken into custody and charged with burglary, said Black.

Two burglaries also occurred within a few hours on Friday, Aug. 23.

An undisclosed amount of cash and a Nook tablet were stolen from a Revere Ave. home between 10 and 11:30 a.m. Around 12 p.m. a Taranto Court resident found two males in their late teens inside of their home. The men fled the home and police were unsuccessful in locating them, police said.

“All incidents are currently under investigation by the Detective Bureau,” said Black. “Residents are asked to practice good crime prevention techniques and secure their garages and automobiles when left unattended.”