Blotter: Man Punched, Robbed Exiting His Menzel Ave. Home

A Maplewood man was punched and robbed exiting his home on Menzel Avenue on Wednesday, Nov. 30.

The man said he was leaving his home through the side door at 6:29 a.m. when he noticed a man walk past him in his driveway going toward the back of his home. When he said, “Excuse me," the man turned and punched him in the face and head several times until he fell to the ground.

The victim reported the suspect then took his wallet and fled towards Menzel Avenue. The victim was transported to Overlook Hospital for treatment of his injuries. The suspect is described as a black male, 17-20 years old, approximately 5’11” tall with a slender build. He was wearing a dark vest, dark wool knit hat and sweatpants.

The victim wrote to Patch, "Please inform readers that now more than ever for people to be careful even stepping out of their homes." He continued, "Above all, I don't want what happened to me to happen to anyone else. I think this is the last straw that broke the camel's back about living here in Maplewood."

The remainder of this week's police blotter, sent courtesy of Sgt. Dean Naddeo, include two thefts, a commercial burglary and an attempted burglary:

Nov. 29, 2011: Theft. A Mountain Avenue resident reported his wallet was stolen from the Maplewood Library on Baker Street at approximately 3:30 p.m. The wallet is described as a red tri-fold wallet with two black intertwined dragons and containing approximately $36 in cash.

Nov. 29, 2011: Commercial Burglary. A Springfield Avenue hair salon owner reported between Nov. 26 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 29 at 6:30 a.m. someone entered the store and removed a Sony flatscreen TV, a Hewlett Packard laptop computer and $220 in cash. There were no signs of forced entry.

Dec. 2, 2011: Attempted Burglary. A Boyden Avenue resident reported a man attempted to enter her home through a rear basement window. When the resident saw the suspect, she shouted, and the suspect fled. The suspect is described as a black man, 25-30 years old, approximately 5’10” with a medium build. He was wearing a black trench coat and a black wool hat.

December 3, 2011: Theft. A Holmdel resident reported someone took an Apple iPad from his vehicle, which was parked in an Indiana Street driveway. The vehicle was not damaged. The incident reportedly occurred between 9 p.m. and midnight.