North Caldwell Man Accused Of Stealing Cop’s Phone For 2nd Time

NORTH CALDWELL, NJ — A North Caldwell man has been accused of stealing a local cop’s phone… again.

On Friday, North Caldwell Police Chief Mark Deuer reported that Robert Tucker, 20, allegedly tried to take a cellphone from his parked truck, a little more than a year after he was accused of stealing a patrol officer’s phone during a courtesy ride home.

• See related article: Cops: North Caldwell Man Stole Officer's Cell Phone During Courtesy Ride Home

Deuer stated that he was off duty and gassing up his private truck at the North Caldwell Exxon on Bloomfield Avenue around 7:20 a.m., when he went to grab a cup of coffee from inside.

“My car was off, however it was unlocked, as I only planned on being away for a minute,” Deuer stated.

• See related article: North Caldwell Sees Car Theft, Burglary Wave: Cops Say Keep Doors Locked

“As I was walking into the store I noticed a suspicious male talking to a landscaper in a truck as the landscaper was trying to pull away,” Deuer said. “The male then went over and talked to another customer at the gas station.”

The police chief continued:

“Feeling it was a little out of the ordinary, I kept my eye on the individual as I went to get my coffee. The male then approached the gas attendant. He was standing nose-to nose with the attendant and the employee appeared to look uncomfortable. This action piqued my curiosity, so I positioned myself near the window in order to see better. A customer pulled into the service station and the attendant walked over to help them.”

And that was when Deuer allegedly saw the man enter the front of his truck and take something from inside, the chief said.

“I exited the store and after a short foot pursuit was able to take the subject to the ground,” Deuer stated. “Once on the ground, I found he was in possession of my iPhone 6. I removed my iPhone from his pocket and used it to call 911 to request assistance as I struggled with the subject on the ground.”

Two North Caldwell police officers and Caldwell police soon arrived on the scene to help arrest Tucker.

Emergency responders transported Tucker to Mountainside Hospital for medical evaluation, Dueur stated. He was charged with burglary, theft and resisting arrest; his bail was set at $25,000.

In April of 2015, Tucker allegedly repaid a police officer’s courtesy ride home by stealing her cell phone.

Police said that after Officer Sue Depoe dropped 19-year-old Robert Tucker off at his home around 4:30 a.m. on April 7, she noticed that her cell phone was missing.

According to police, video cameras in the back of Depoe’s patrol car captured Tucker picking up an iPhone 6 Plus and placing it in his jacket pocket. When officers returned to Tucker’s residence to arrest him, they found Depoe’s phone placed under a piece of wood by the mailbox. Police said that the phone’s contents were erased and it was factory reset.

According to police, Tucker stated that he may have possibly kicked the phone when he got out of the patrol car by mistake.