Traffic & Transit

Man Broke Into 7 Cars At Bloomfield Repair Shop, Police Say

In addition to surveillance footage, Bloomfield detectives found fingerprints and DNA evidence at the scene, authorities said.

Police apprehended a man accused of breaking into seven cars at an auto repair shop in Bloomfield, authorities announced Thursday.
Police apprehended a man accused of breaking into seven cars at an auto repair shop in Bloomfield, authorities announced Thursday. (File Photo: Enzo DiCostanzo)

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Police apprehended a man accused of breaking into seven cars at an auto repair shop in Bloomfield, authorities announced Thursday.

An officer responded to Regal Collision on Grove Street on Tuesday morning after Bloomfield police got a report about several vehicle break-ins at the shop's parking lot.

The owner said that seven vehicles were entered and small items were taken from inside of each car, according to the Bloomfield Police Department.

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A Bloomfield police crime scene unit responded to the scene and secured multiple fingerprints from several of the vehicles. Investigators also found “DNA evidence” that was left behind by the suspect, authorities said.

Here’s what happened next, police said:

Find out what's happening in Bloomfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

“Bloomfield police detectives and crime scene detectives canvassed the area and secured numerous surveillance videos. It was later determined that the suspect left his bicycle that he rode to and from the scene locked up at an offsite location. Detectives set up surveillance on the bicycle and waited for the suspect to return. Detectives observed the [suspect] return for the bike, wearing several of the same pieces of clothing that was observed in the video from the night of the incident.”

Police arrested Lamir Cobb, 31, of Newark, later charging him with seven counts of burglary into vehicles, theft and criminal mischief. Cobb was issued a warrant and transported to the Essex County Correctional Facility, authorities said.

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