Drunk West Orange Man Charged in Shoplifting

April 18:  A Pleasant Valley Way homeowner told police someone damaged the fins and core of his recently installed air conditioner compressor causing $3,000 worth of damage to the unit, necessitating a full replacement for the unit. There are no suspects.

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A 47-year-old Newark woman was arrested on shoplifting charges after a ShopRite security guard saw her take cold medicine and a hairbrush and remove them from their boxes before placing them in her purse and leave the store.

Alvita Fennell was stopped just prior to leaving the store by the security guard, who discovered the items, valued at $70.80, in the purse.

Fennell was given a summons and released. She is to appear in municipal court on Thursday morning.

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West Orange police arrested a 57-year-old West Orange man a 6:18 p.m. and charged him with shoplifting and driving while intoxicated following an incident at the CVS Pharmacy at 629 Eagle Rock Ave.

According to store witnesses, Mark A. Biederman allegedly took a pair of correction eyewear from a store shelf, walked out to his car with the glasses on and then returned to the store. 

When police arrived, Biederman was speaking with a store employee. Police noticed he spoke with slurred speech and was allegedly swaying back and forth like he was intoxicated. Police said he also had bloodshot eyes, as well as peanuts and red lipstick on his face.

Biederman told police he went to CVS to buy the eyewear and admitted he removed the pricetag so he could see how they fit him prior to buying them. After that, Biederman said, he went out of the store and across the parking lot to his red Lamborgini to get his wallet, before returning to the store.

Biederman said he when left the store, he left the glasses there. A store employee disputed that. 

Biederman was then arrested and charged with shoplifting.

While in custody, police asked him if he had been drinking. Biederman said he had one beer and he was on prescription medication.

Police administered a Breathalyzer test and charged him with DWI.

After he was processed, he was released to another adult.

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West Orange police are investigating a burglary to a first-floor apartment on Williams Street in which a laptop, some jewelry, a pair of phones and cash were all taken.

The apartment, shared by a man and his female roommate, along with the man’s mother, was burglarized sometime between 12:45 p.m. and 7 p.m., police said.

The apartment residents were unsure if the apartment was locked when they left for the day. One of the apartment residents came home for lunch, but did not notice anything wrong at the time.

The man’s laptop was taken from a bedroom, along with an $85 watch. The roommate had $850 in cash taken. Also taken from the bedroom were a damaged iPhone 4, valued at $199, and a Blackberry Curve, valued at $100.

The homeowner, who lives on the second floor, said they didn’t see or hear anything. A resident on the third floor was at work all day. 

Police said neighbors on either side of the home reported seeing or hearing nothing as well.

April 19: Police are investigating a burglary to a garage on Hillside Avenue in which three mountain bikes were stolen.

The homeowner said he returned home at around 8:15 p.m. and noticed the gate across his driveway leading to the back of the house was open. In addition, one garage door was completely open and the other garage door was partially open.

The homeowner told police both garage doors were closed when he left the house earlier, but he is unsure if they were locked. 

After further investigation, the homeowner noticed the three mountain bikes missing and he contacted police.

The homeowner told police on April 15, he noticed several youth playing basketball in a neighbor’s backyard. A garage window was broken during the game.

Police spoke to a neighbor, who said he saw five or six 11-13-year old black youth in the backyard at 5:30 p.m.

It is unknown if the garage was entered through unlocked doors or through the window broken on April 15 and police are continuing their investigation.

April 20: West Orange police are searching for a man who opened a wrought-iron driveway gate at 8:12 a.m., entered an idling car and drove away with the woman’s car and her purse, before leading police on a chase through the city of Orange and escaping.

According to police, a Watchung Avenue resident said she was leaving for work and warming up her blue Toyota Camry when she realized she left something in her home.

She left the car running and returned to the house. When she returned, an unidentified black man was driving the car down the driveway. Police in an unmarked car located the car at the intersection of High and Hawthorne streets and began a chase.

Police said the speeding Camry continued south on High Street, then east on Park Avenue into East Orange before ending the chase on Washington Street.

The car owner believes the suspect look familiar to her and may have been seen in the area prior to the incident.

She told police the purse contained her personal banking information.

April 21: West Orange police are investigating a shoplifting incident at the CVS at 629 Eagle Rock Ave. in which a $3.99 12-pack of bottled water was stolen.

A store employee said a white man entered the store at 10 a.m. and walked around the store. The man then left the store with the water packed inside a green shopping bag without paying before entering a 2010 silver Ford Fusion parked in a handicapped parking space and leaving, the employee said.

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West Orange police are investigating the theft of a purse from a shopping cart from Kmart Plaza on Pompton Avenue.

The woman said he left the store and returned her shopping cart to catch the NJ Access Jitney when she realized she left her purse in the cart. Attempts to locate her purse, a canvass cloth type bag, by security were unsuccessful. 

Inside her purse, she had her Social Security card and driver’s license, as well as a checkbook.

April 23: Police are investigating who sprayed red and black graffiti on the south side wall of the Whole Foods Market located at 235 Prospect Ave. at approximately 4:35 p.m.