2 Men Charged With Bloomfield Diversionary Burglaries (PHOTOS)

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Police have apprehended a pair of men suspected of committing a series of recent diversionary burglaries in Bloomfield, Nutley, Caldwell, Clifton and New York City, authorities say.

According to the Nutley Police Department, the arrests were the result of a coordinated investigative effort with their peers in Bloomfield, Caldwell and Livingston, as well as the state police.

Police said that the arrest took place after Nutley officers responded to a Mountainview Avenue home on Friday on a report of a home burglary. The home’s resident told officers that two men came to her door and claimed that they were working down the street from her house and needed to enter her basement to check the water.

While the homeowner escorted one man down into the basement and distracted her by running water, his accomplice – who appeared to be waiting outside – allegedly entered the house and stole her jewelry, she told police.

The responding officers canvassed the area and obtained video surveillance of a “newer model pickup truck” that was allegedly used in the crime, police said.

Nutley police then broadcast the image to neighboring jurisdictions and received information on a possible registrant, authorities said.

BLOOMFIELD INVESTIGATION

After receiving the surveillance video footage, Bloomfield police launched a parallel investigation and were able to verify a license plate that identified the vehicle as one allegedly used during a recent series of “water department diversionary” burglaries in the township, authorities said.

• See related article: Bloomfield Man Reports Possible Diversionary Burglary

According to the Bloomfield Police Department, its detectives located the vehicle in Jersey City on Friday and after hours of surveillance, arrested both suspects, Wando Delmaro, 58, and Michaelangelo Costello, 31, both of Jersey City.

Officers found a knife during the arrest that was later linked to the Mountainview Avenue diversionary burglary in Nutley, police said.

Speaking about the Bloomfield burglaries, police released the following statement:

“The suspects would pose as water department employees asking to check the water pipes in the basements for a possible leak. As the homeowner would escort one suspect to the basement, the second suspect would quickly go through other areas in search of valuables.”

Bloomfield police charged Delmaro and Costello with burglary, theft and conspiracy.

Detectives from multiple police agencies are working to identify additional crimes that Delmaro and Costello may be responsible for, including a pair of additional burglaries on Bloomfield and Union avenues in Nutley, authorities said.

Nutley Police Director Alphonse Petracco said that Clifton, Bloomfield and Caldwell have all reported similar incidents to the Mountainview Avenue burglary, and investigators believe that the same suspects may be responsible for those thefts.

Photos: Bloomfield Police Department