In Nutley: 'Tussin' Pill Addiction, 'NBA' Heroin, Damaged Patio Furniture, AWOL Juveniles, Stolen Cars

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.

5/9/2015

Theft of Services – A Kingsland Avenue gas station attendant reported that a female driver of a black 4 door Mercury requested their tank be filled and they would pay in cash. After the gas was pumped, the female handed the attendant a credit card for payment, which was declined. The party drove away from the station without paying for the gas. Total amount of gas was $38 and it was revealed that the owner of the credit card had reported it lost. Surveillance video was not available at the time of the report, but would be checked at a later date. The owner was advised of their right to file a complaint with the court should the actor be identified.

Arrest on Warrant – A motor vehicle stop was conducted on Route 21 and the driver was found to be driving with a suspended license. A check proved positive for the following active warrants: three from the Township of Belleville, one out of Lyndhurst and one out of Kearny. Sidney Kimbrough, 44, of Belleville, was placed under arrest and transported to Headquarters without incident. He was issued a traffic summons for driving while suspended and the Belleville Police Department was contacted and they responded to Headquarters to take custody of Kimbrough. They were advised of the other warrants.

5/11/2015

Fraud – Headquarters received a report from the victim stating that there were fraudulent charges on their credit card account. The charges were made in Nutley at a pharmacy and totaled approximately $230. The financial institution has already been notified, and will handle the incident. No further police action taken at this time.

5/12/2015

Motor vehicle theft – Franklin Avenue - Headquarters received a report of two motor vehicles that were taken from the owner’s parking spaces while away for an extended period of time. It is not certain when the vehicles may have been taken. Checks were made with building management and the police impound book, both with negative results. The two vehicle registrations were entered into the national database as stolen.

5/13/2015

Criminal mischief – Centre Street – Officers responded to take a report from the homeowner regarding damage to patio furniture. The victim stated that the incident happened sometime during the night. Observed was a picnic table on its side, the wooden picnic umbrella snapped in half, and a ceramic planter that was shattered on the deck. There was no cumulative value of the damaged items at the time of the report. The victim was advised of the strong winds that occurred throughout the evening and the possibility that it may be the cause for the damage. The victim went on to state that they believe the damage may be criminal, due to the fact that their vehicle had recently been keyed several weeks prior. That incident was not documented and is believed to have occurred in Secaucus. Victim was asked if they suspected any individuals that may be responsible for the damage which they stated they did not. The victim was advised on how to obtain a copy of the report for their records.

Theft – Franklin Avenue – The victim reported two cell phones stolen from their apartment. Both phones were worth $100 each. The serial numbers or phone numbers were not provided by the victim.

Assist other agency – Officers observed a party walking in the area of Park and Washington Avenues with a bag filled with several bottles of cold medicine from a pharmacy. The amount appeared suspicious and believed stolen. The party was stopped and a receipt count not be produced for the items. The actor stated he could not produce a receipt and admitted to having an addiction to “tussin” pills. He stated he stole three bottles of pills from two different pharmacies, both of which are located in Belleville. The Belleville Police Department was contacted and responded to our location to take custody of the subject.

CDS arrest – Chestnut Street and Franklin Avenue. – Officers witnessed a suspicious transaction between three parties and stopped to inquire about their actions. It was found that one party had 8 small glassine envelopes with the letters “NBA” stamped on the outside of them. Two parties, Marilyn Colorado, 43, of Nutley, and Joseph Tomiak, 68, of Nutley, were placed under arrest and the search incident to arrest produced a small cylindrical shaped pipe commonly used to smoke crack cocaine. At Headquarters, the glassine envelopes tested positive for heroin. Colorado was also found to be a wanted person by our jurisdiction and her bail was set at $2,500 with a 10 percent option. Colorado was also charged with possession of CDS-heroin (3rd degree) and possession of drug paraphernalia. Judge Cocchiola set her bail at $10,000 with a 10 percent option. Tomiak had several warrants from Nutley, several from Fort Lee, and Newark. He was charged with possession of CDS-heroin (3rd degree) and his bail was set at $5000.00 with a 10 percent option. Both parties were then printed and processed and advised of their court dates. Both parties were transported to the Essex County Jail after attempts to post bail were unsuccessful.

5/14/2015

Suspicious persons – Headquarters dispatched Officers to Rt. 21 northbound on a report of two juveniles walking on the highway. Officers spotted the two boys in the woods just north of the Park Avenue on ramp. The boys told officers they were walking to Willowbrook Mall and refused to give any further information. They were transported to Headquarters for their safety and to contact a guardian. It was found that both boys were AWOL from their Child Protective Services placement location. The boys were picked up by the proper agency and were taken to the hospital for evaluation.

Fraud – Headquarters received a report from the victim stating that their identity may have been compromised, due to receiving bills from companies that they do not have accounts with. A bill was received from AT&T in the amount of $229, a credit card was received in the mail from Target with a $700 dollar credit limit, and a letter from JCrew credit for an application for a credit card was received as well. The victim requested to be added to the Identity Theft Victim program and all credit agencies and companies were advised of the situation.