Satchel With $150K Stolen Outside Mahwah Business

Approximately $150,000 was stolen after two people left it outside an Industrial Avenue business Monday morning, police said.

The money was supposed to be put into local ATMs when someone left a satchel with the money in it outside one of their customers on Industrial Avenue, said Police Chief James Batelli.

The person was moving things around inside their vehicle, put the money outside, and went back inside the vehicle, Batelli said; the person was supposed to be watching the money in the back of the vehicle.

The driver left the scene and neither person realized the money was missing until 15 minutes later, police said. They returned to the scene and the money was missing.

Police viewed footage from nearby surveillance cameras and saw the passenger in a white van take the bag and leave, police said.

More video footage showed the van pulling into a nearby car repair business and someone taking used tires from a fenced-in area; employees said people have taken tires from the business before allegedly using the same van, Batelli said.

The passenger who took the tires is the same person people believe took the money; the person appears to be a dark-skinned man, wearing a T-shirt and long white athletic shorts with a dark stripe down the thigh, police said.

Police said the van looks like a GMC Savana.

Anyone with information should contact Mahwah Police detectives Michael Grassi or Eric Larsen at 201-529-1000, ext. 216 or 217.