Summit Woman Encounters Suspicious Behavior, Leads To 2 Arrests

SUMMIT, NJ — A woman walking her dog in Summit Tuesday night observed suspicious behavior and reported it to the police. It turned out the three men she had reported all had criminal records.

While walking her dog on Essex Road, the woman encountered three men walking toward her, according to Summit spokeswoman Amy Cairns. When the men noticed her approaching with her dog, they turned around and quickly left in the opposite direction.

Thinking the behavior seemed suspicious, the woman called 9-11. Summit Police then patrolled the area and found the men on the Short Hills side of Route 124.

When questioned, two of the men provided false information and were arrested. The third, a minor with a record of being involved in a carjacking, was released.

One of them men arrested had a criminal history that included a weapons possession charge, and the other was supposed to be on house arrest for stealing a vehicle from the Short Hills Mall last week, according to police.

"Summit Police Department is extremely thankful that a vigilant citizen acted in a way that may have prevented a motor vehicle theft in Summit or a neighboring community last evening," the Cairns wrote. "Please always secure your homes and your vehicles when parked and remove key fobs. Working together we can help keep everyone safe."

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