2 Attempted Burglaries In Montclair; Dogs Foil One Suspect: Police

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Two separate burglary attempts were recently reported in Montclair, authorities announced Tuesday.

On May 19, a resident of South Mountain Avenue reported that he woke up at 4:40 a.m. when his dogs began barking. When he walked downstairs, he saw a stranger inside his home, police said.

When the victim yelled – “What are you doing here?” – the man threw a briefcase that belonged to the resident in his direction and fled the home through the rear door, running east down the driveway, authorities said.

Nothing was reported missing from the home, police said.

The suspect was described as a male about 5 feet 9 inches. He was wearing a black ski mask, a black or grey hooded sweatshirt and dark-colored pants, authorities said.

It hasn’t been the first time a barking dog alerted a Montclair resident about a burglary, according to police.

In April, a Montclair resident’s dog alerted him to a burglary – but not before the thief managed to take about $300 in cash from his home.

• See Related: Dog Alerts Montclair Resident To Home Burglary, Police Say

UNDERCLIFF ROAD

A separate burglary attempt was reported on Undercliff Road on Tuesday, according to Montclair police.

A resident told officers that surveillance footage showed two people in the driveway near the front of the property around 3:10 a.m. One of them tried to enter a “high-end vehicle” that was parked in the driveway. However, it was locked and the suspect didn’t get inside, police said.

The second suspect tried to enter the resident’s home, opening the screen door on the side of the house overlooking the driveway. However, the glass sliding door behind the screen door was locked.

Police said one suspect was described as a male with a medium build, wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt, a red hat, a white surgical mask and Adidas sweatpants with vertical white stripes along the side. A description of the second suspect wasn’t available.

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