3 Bloomfield Stores Burglarized, Cops Arrest Newark Man: PD

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Bloomfield police have arrested a Newark man who allegedly burglarized three local businesses, authorities announced Monday.

According to the Bloomfield Division of Public Safety, a pair of burglaries took place at John’s Deli and Prissy Paws on West Passaic Avenue on Sunday.

Officers arrived at John’s Deli at 48 West Passaic Avenue after a commercial burglar alarm went off. The officers found the front glass door of the business smashed. They entered the store and saw an open cash register on the ground with coins surrounding it, police said.

The officers also found a rock inside the store that was used to break the glass, authorities said.

Bloomfield police didn’t find any suspects inside. Officers spoke with the owner, who said about $200 in cash was missing from the register.

As officers were checking the perimeter of the building, they also found damage to the front door of another business, Prissy Paws. They entered the store to investigate, finding the business “ransacked,” authorities said.

No suspects were found; about $100 was missing from a cash register, police said.

Bloomfield police began to search the area for a suspect or suspects. Soon, a pair of officers saw a man walking south on Broad Street in front of Brookside Tavern. When the man spotted the officers, he hid behind a trailer at 1079 Broad Street and fled the area on foot, authorities said.

The officers chased the fleeing man, but lost him near Broad Street and Holly Court, authorities said.

While checking the area for the man, a Bloomfield sergeant in a police car saw a taxi turn into the IHOP parking lot on Broad Street. When sergeant pulled the taxi over at Watchung Avenue and Clair Street, a man who fit the suspect’s description got out of the taxi and ran towards Clair Street.

After getting a tip from a George Street resident that a person was in their back yard, an officer arrived on the scene and saw a man take off, running through nearby yards and jumping over fences, authorities stated.

Bloomfield officers caught up with the man and arrested him a short time later. He was identified as Vontra Marrow, 24, of Newark, police said.

The next morning, a third Bloomfield business reported a burglary: Bagels Abroad on Broad Street. After arriving at the store, police reviewed video footage, which showed Morrow taking about $500 from a tip jar, authorities said.

After more investigation, police determined that Marrow used a bread truck stolen from North Bergen as his get-away vehicle in the bagel store burglary. Police found the truck on Donna Drive and towed it to headquarters for processing, authorities said.

Police charged Marrow with three counts of burglary, three counts of theft, three counts of criminal mischief, receiving stolen property, obstructing administration of a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest.

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