Montclair Hit By String Of Burglaries And Another Armed Robbery

A woman on Erwin Park discovered a man in her house Saturday morning—just one in a rash of burglary and theft incidents that occurred this past week.

On Saturday, a resident on Erwin Park told police she was awakened by her dog just after 5 a.m., only to discover someone sitting in her computer room.

Indeed, the woman told police that, thinking her dog needed to go for a walk, she headed downstairs, walking by the computer room on the way. She believed a person was sitting by the computer but, since she was still waking up, she thought she may have been mistaken and that the figure was a jacket left on the chair by another family member.

The resident continued walking towards the rear of the house when she heard a noise coming from the computer room. She walked back towards the room and saw the silhouette of a man standing at the side door about to exit the house. The victim asked, “Who is that?”, but the suspect just turned, looked at her, and calmly left the house. The resident was unable to determine which direction the suspect fled after leaving the home.

The suspect is described as a thin, black male, approximately 5’7” to 5’9”. He was last seen wearing a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt and dark- colored baggy pants. It is believed that the suspect got into the home through an unlocked side door.

Anyone with further information is asked to contact Detective Ricky Singleton at 973-509-4722.

Theft

On Thursday evening just after 7 p.m., a 63-year-old Glen Ridge resident said he was robbed after leaving a New Jersey Transit bus at Valley Road and Bloomfield Avenue, and walking east on Bloomfield Avenue.

The man said he had been followed off the bus by another man who had been on the same bus with him and had given the victim “a bad vibe the whole bus ride.” As the victim approached Park Street, the suspect took an envelope containing an undetermined amount of cash from the victim’s front left shirt pocket. The suspect then ran north on Park Street and was last seen on Park Street in the area of Portland Place. Police later spoke to another witness who believed that the suspect may have run onto Montague Place. Police searched the area, but were unable to locate him.

The suspect is described as a black man, medium build, and last seen wearing dark clothes and possibly a red wool cap. Anyone with further information is asked to contact Detective Ray Gulbin at 973-509-4739.

Strong Arm Robbery

On Thursday evening, a 28-year-old Montclair resident said he was robbed at an apartment complex on Glenridge Avenue by two black men at about 8:15 p.m. He refused to provide any details of the robbery except to say, "I was robbed and I want to press charges" and that $135 in cash had been taken from him. The victim continued to refuse to speak to officers, but complained of pain in his back. He was transported to the hospital by members of MVAU.

Anyone with further information is asked to contact Detective Sergeant Ron Redmond at 973-509-4727.

Burglary

On Thursday night, a burglary was reported at a home on Valley Road in Upper Montclair. A woman told police she had left the house at about 5:30 p.m. only to find the front door kicked in when she returned about five hours later. Police searched the inside of the home and found that the suspect was no longer there. The victim reported nothing missing at the time of the report. There are no suspects at this time.

Anyone with further information is asked to contact Detective Charles Cunningham at 973-509-4716.

Drug Activity

On Thursday night, police found two bags containing marijuana in the Quik Check parking lot on Valley Road. There were no suspects in the area at the time of the discovery.

Anyone wishing to report drug activity is asked to contact 973-509-4720.

Theft From A Car

On Friday, a Clifton resident reported a theft from his car parked in the North Fullerton Parking Deck. He said he parked his silver Ford Escape on the first level at about 4:30 p.m. When he returned about two hours later, he noticed that the driver's side door was ajar and that the inside of the car had been rummaged through. The victim reported that about 10 compact discs, with a total value of $200, had been stolen from the car. It is unknown if the car was locked, but police found no evidence of forced entry. There are no suspects at this time

Theft From A Car

On Saturday afternoon, a Montclair resident reported a theft from his car parked on Christopher Street. He said he parked the car on Feb. 3 at about 10 p.m. and that, when he returned to the car the following morning at about 5 a.m., he found that the lock on the driver's side door had been damaged.

The victim said that a Power Point projector, valued at $1,000, had been taken from the car. There are no suspects at this time.

Anyone with further information is asked to contact Detective Ricky Singleton at 973-509-4722.

Burglary Attempt

On Saturday afternoon, a resident of a multi-family home on Claremont Avenue told police that, on Feb. 9, he found he couldn't properly close the side door to his apartment. Upon further inspection, the resident noticed multiple pry marks to the metal door and door frame. It is not believed that entry was gained to the building and none of the tenants reported anything missing at the time of the report. There are no suspects at this time.

Driving While Intoxicated

On Saturday night, police responded to the intersection of Valley Road and James Street on a report of a car crash. Upon arrival, police located a heavily damaged tan Ford Taurus in the middle of the lane and spoke to the driver, later identified as Michael Rizzitello. Rizzitello told police that he did not know how the accident occurred, then said that he had struck a snow bank. A search of the area revealed a parked Dodge on Valley Road that had sustained heavy damage and debris from the Taurus was found next to the parked car that had been struck.

Rizzitello, 49, of Lincoln Park, was arrested after he failed to adequately perform field sobriety tests. He was issued motor vehicle summonses for driving while intoxicated, careless driving, leaving the scene of a car accident, and failure to report a car accident. He was later released from custody.

Burglary

On Sunday morning, a burglary was reported at a home on North Mountain Avenue. The resident said that, sometime between 1:30 a.m. and 5 a.m., someone came in and stole about $35 from a change jar located in the kitchen. Two purses and a change wallet were also reported stolen from the kitchen, and contained about $265. It appears that entry to the home may have been gained through an unlocked window.

Anyone with further information is asked to contact the Juvenile Aid Bureau at 973-509-4733.

Burglary

Early today, at about 6:10 a.m., a person noticed an open door at the Erie Saloon on Depot Square. Police came, searched the inside of the building, but found no suspects on the scene. Police believe the door had been kicked from the inside. The door frame also suffered damage and, as a result, the door could not be secured.

A cash register with an open till also was discovered, one that appeared to have been rummaged through as there were only coins left. Police have been unable to reach the owner or any employees so they don't know what's missing. There are no suspects.

Anyone with further information is asked to contact Detective Joseph Anderson at 973-509-4706.