'Cat' Burglars Again on the Prowl, Hitting 4 Homes

Two Wyckoff residents woke up Monday to find their homes had been burglarized as they slept.

Nearby, two Franklin Lakes homeowners also found out in the morning that they were victimized while they were home in their beds. The thefts were no coincidence, said police Chief Benjamin Fox.

"Clearly, the four that happened the other night are obviously the same persons," he said.

The rash of burglaries follows similar incidents that occurred in the two municipalities in May, although the chief said it's not yet clear if the same burglars are responsible for all of the break-ins.

"There are some similarities," he said, declining further comment due to an open investigation.

The so-called "cat" burglars have followed a similar pattern, hitting homes in neighborhoods that border Wyckoff and Franklin Lakes and entering houses overnight while residents sleep. Police have little tangible evidence of the perpetrators as no one has actually seen them.

The burglaries "weren't known until people woke up," Fox said, at which point "everyone is long gone."

Since there hasn't been a case where a resident heard scuffling or actually saw anything suspicious, police aren't sure if the homes are hit in quick succession. "We have no time-frame on this," Fox said.

On Monday, two Cresthaven Road residents reported to police that they awoke to find their homes burglarized. One resident said a rear window screen was sliced open, allowing access to the home via the window, while the other victim said the burglars entered through an unlocked rear sliding door. The same night, two homes were entered literally blocks away, on Tanglewood Court and Haddon Place in Franklin Lakes.

The burglars apparently grab what is immediately available. Computer equipment and a cell phone were taken from the Wyckoff homes Monday, while a car also was entered. On May 17, homes on Poplar Court and Clinton Avenue in Wyckoff and Packer Avenue in Franklin Lakes were burglarized, with thieves taking money, and in one case, a car while residents slept. Additionally, a car was stolen from another Franklin Lakes home earlier this month, although it was later recovered in East Orange.

"It's unquestionably unnerving," Fox said. "We don't want residents to feel like they have to sleep with one eye open."

However, residents can help avoid being victims.

"Residents have to be our eyes and ears," Fox said. "Be suspicious until your suspicions are unfounded... we would always rather check out something that turns out to be nothing than not get a call from a resident when perhaps we should have," he said.

The chief advises residents to lock their cars, especially since burglars can use garage door openers found inside to access homes. Ground floor windows and doors should be kept locked at night, and alarms should be activated if residents have them. Use motion detectors to shine a light should anyone enter a yard.

Wyckoff police continue to work with Franklin Lakes authorities to solve the crimes, and Fox said intelligence is being shared with other agencies and departments, as other towns throughout New Jersey have experienced "cat" burglaries of late. The chief said officers are conducting extra checks on neighborhoods in the border communities overnight.

Fox said "cat" burglars are much different than burglars who will go out of their way to ensure a resident isn't home before attempting entry. 

"A cat burglar comes in with a reasonable expectation that there are people in the house," he said. "My worry is if there's a face-to-face confrontation... it's a recipe for something really bad."

However, the department's Detective Bureau has made the burglaries a top priority, and the chief is hopeful progress will be made by sharing intelligence with other police agencies.

"We understand how scary this situation can be for residents."

To report any suspicious activity, call the Police Department at 201-891-2121.