In Nutley: Foul Ball Hits Car, Home Burglary, Car Scratched by Knife, Identity Theft

Editor’s Note: The following incidents are taken directly from the Nutley Police Blotter, which may not include the full scope of police activity in the area. All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

5/30/15

Motor vehicle stop/DWI – North Road – A motor vehicle stop resulted in the arrest of Adriano Roman, 26, Newark. He was transported to headquarters without incident where he was issued summonses for Driving while Intoxicated, Speeding, Careless Driving, Failure to wear a Seatbelt, and Refusal to Give Samples of Breath, advised of his mandatory court dates and released.

Property damage – non-criminal – Bloomfield Ave – Officers responded to the area and spoke with the caller who stated as they were traveling North on Bloomfield Avenue, they noticed a foul ball from the baseball field in mid-air. They attempted to avoid the baseball from striking their vehicle by stopping, but the ball still struck the windshield of the vehicle. The windshield did have a circular initial point of contact on the driver’s side, lower part of the windshield. The victim wished to document the incident for insurance purposes.

5/31/15

Suspicious person/arrest on warrant/Hancox Avenue - Officers observed a male party who appeared to be in the need of assistance in Flora Louden Park. After a brief interview, the party was found to have a warrant out of Hoboken. Michele Iannitelli, 36, of Belleville, was taken into custody and transported to headquarters without incident. He was checked by EMS and signed a refusal for medical attention. Proper bail amount was received and Iannitelli was released and advised to contact Hoboken for a new court date.

Theft/Burglary – Bloomfield Avenue – Officers responded to Headquarters to speak with the victims on a report of a burglary of a laptop that was taken from the dining room table of their home. Nothing else was disturbed or taken from the home and there was no observance of forced entry anywhere around the home. The laptop is described as a 13 inch Silver Apple Macbook Air and it was entered stolen by Police personnel. The victim was advised the Detective Bureau would be informed of the incident to investigate further. No further action.

6/1/15

Fraud – Wayne Place - A resident reported that their home was being used as a scam for people wanting to rent the home. The victim stated that people were supposed to send a deposit for the house and keys were to be Fed-Exed to them. The homeowner has not given any personal information to anyone who has come to see the house. The email information from the actor and their phone number was turned over to police. The party that came to see the home was advised to contact the police department in their jurisdiction due to them giving out some personal information via email. Both victims were advised to call the police back if they should be contacted again.

6/2/15

Fraud – Kingsland Avenue - A resident wanted to document receiving what appeared to be a hand written letter expressing interest in buying their home “as is” with a quick closing. The letter gave the name of a party and a phone number to contact. Officers advised the victim that the letter only appeared to be hand written, and it was, in fact, mass produced and most likely sent to hundreds of homes. The number was no longer in service and there was no return address on the envelope. Officers explained it was most likely a scam and to throw away any future letters of the like.

6/3/15

Criminal mischief – Ackerman Street – The victim of criminal mischief responded to headquarters to report damage to their vehicle on a continuous basis. Pointed out to officers were many scratches on the entire car. It appears the scratches are being done with a sharp knife. Additionally, there were several dings on the body of the car as well as the windshield. It is not known what caused the dings and how much it would cost to repair the damage sustained. The victim was advised of their right to sign a complaint should the actor/s be identified and to contact headquarters if they should see any suspicious person(s) in or around their vehicle.

Fraud – Officers received a report of an incident regarding several voice messages left for the victim from “Jerry” (and phone number), who identified himself as an agent of the IRS. “Jerry” stated the victim did not properly file their tax returns and as a result, was in default for $5,700. Jerry said that if the outstanding amount was not paid, a warrant will be issued for their arrest, and their bank accounts will be seized. Upon returning the call, the victim stated they were transferred to a “Steve Marshall” who advised the victim to respond to a local supermarket to obtain rechargeable gift cards, and place $5,000 on several gift cards. The victim was then provided step by step instructions by “Steve Marshall” while they were at the supermarket. The victim charged $5,000 to several rechargeable gift cards. The information was then given to a “Craig Smith”, reportedly of the IRS. After the transaction, the victim became suspicious of the procedures used by the “agents” because they did not appear to be a standard protocol. The victim contacted their financial institution and was told their accounts would be frozen. The victim contacted the gift card company who advised they would attempt to freeze the cards, however, it may take several business days. The victim was advised how they can obtain a copy of this report.

6/5/15

Identity Theft – Victims reported that they received a letter from the IRS stating that their tax return could not be processed and they would not be receiving a return due to missing information. They found it strange because they were not expecting a return. Upon contacting the IRS they found that someone had filed a return in their names. The IRS had advised them to file a police report for Identity theft. Both parties signed the paperwork to be listed as identity theft victims.