Hoboken Man Grabs Sweater Of Person Allegedly Stealing Bike

HOBOKEN, NJ — Bicycle riders take their vehicles seriously. So it's no surprise that, according to a Hoboken police report, an employee of a building in Hoboken attempted to collar a man whom he saw allegedly taking a resident's bike in the building's garage on Sunday.

According to police, Guillmero Mesa, 29, from Jersey City, was arrested on Palisades Avenue on Sunday after police pursued him up the hill from Hoboken.

Mesa was charged with robbery, burglary, hindering apprehension, contempt of court, interception of emergency communications, certain person not to have weapons, burglar’s tool, and criminal mischief.

And it all started with a bike.

According to a release from the Hoboken police, on Sunday at 2:02 p.m., officers Samuel Flores and Francis McCourt responded to a residential building located on the 1400 block of Clinton Street.

According to the report, an employee of the building saw an unknown male allegedly attempting to take a bicycle from the garage that day. The employee didn't recognize the man as a resident.

The employee approached and asked the unknown man what purpose he had for being in the garage, the report said. The unknown male allegedly dropped the bicycle and attempted to leave, the release said.

The employee attempted the stop the unknown male by grabbing his sweater. The unknown male allegedly pushed the employee to the ground and escaped through the garage door.

A resident of the building witnessed the struggle and called for the police. Flores and McCourt responded, then provided a description of the man over the police radio.

Officer Anthony Olivera and Officer Joseph Lupo spotted a male fitting some of the description entering the Ninth Street Light Rail elevator in Hoboken, leading up to Jersey City. Officer McCourt arrived in a marked radio car.

Police were able to stop the man at the top of the hill, on Palisades Avenue.

Police said the man allegedly had a burglar’s tool and a folding knife. But more tellingly, police said, the man allegedly had a cell phone that "he [allegedly] used to listen to Hoboken Police communications during the commission of a crime."

The suspect was transported to police headquarters for processing and charged with the crimes. He was then transported to the Hudson County Jail.

All defendants are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.