Crime & Safety
NJ Burglary Spree Included Verona; Police Make Arrests
Police have made arrests in connection with a string of home burglaries that took place across North Jersey, including Verona.
VERONA, NJ — Police have made arrests in connection with a string of home burglaries and attempted burglaries that recently took place across Bergen, Essex and Morris counties – including in Verona.
According to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, police investigators have been probing a series of burglaries in North Jersey and New York from December 2023 to June 2024, all of which seemed to fit a pattern.
After spending weeks conducting surveillance, reviewing video footage and checking phone records, detectives identified two suspects in connection with the burglaries: Kali J. Carter, 49, of East Orange, and Demetrius D. Hale, 49, of Bergenfield.
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Prosecutors said the list of burglaries/attempted burglaries includes:
January 2024
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- Residential burglary in Chatham Borough
- Residential burglary in Ho-Ho-Kus
- Residential burglary in Hackensack
- Residential burglary in Paramus
- Two residential burglaries in Ridgewood
- Attempted residential burglary in West Orange
February 2024
- Residential burglary in Hasbrouck Heights
- Residential burglary in West Orange
March 2024
- Residential burglary in Hackensack
- Residential burglary in Livingston
June 2024
- Residential burglary in the Township of Washington
- Residential burglary in Leonia
- Residential burglary in Parsippany
- Residential burglary in Wyckoff
- Residential burglary in Hackensack
- Residential burglary in Verona
- Two residential burglaries in West Orange
Police carried out search warrants at Carter and Hale’s homes on Aug. 27. Officers seized a .380 caliber handgun at Carter’s residence.
Both men were arrested without incident and transported to the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack, authorities said.
Carter and Hale have each been charged with 18 counts of third-degree burglary, one count of attempted burglary, four counts of second-degree theft and four counts of third-degree theft. Carter was also charged with first-degree possession of a firearm and second-degree certain persons not to have weapons.
They each remain in custody at the Bergen County Jail awaiting a detention hearing, prosecutors reported last week.
Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella credited police agencies in several towns with aiding the investigation, including the Verona Police Department.
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