Man Assaults Montclair Teen During Home Burglary: Police

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Montclair police released a sketch of a man accused of assaulting a teen during a home burglary on Hillside Avenue last week.

According to the Montclair Police Department, officers responded to the home at 3:27 p.m. after receiving a report about a burglary in progress.

The 17-year-old victim told officers that the incident took place about two hours earlier, when she found an unknown man inside of the home. He demanded money, and when the teen didn’t comply, he “physically assaulted” her, police said.

A family member took the teen to Mountainside Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

A laptop computer and a cellphone were discovered missing from the home, authorities stated.

The victim described the man to police, who released a sketch of the suspect (see below).

According to the victim, the intruder was wearing all black, with a green, camouflage face mask. She said the mask briefly slipped down enough for her to see a gap in the man’s teeth. He also had a large backpack with an object inside, suspected to be a hammer.

The victim said the man was about 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet with a very thin build.

Police are investigating the incident. Anyone with information can contact Detective Joseph Anderson at (973) 509-4707, or Detective Sergeant Terence Turner at (973) 509-4730.

Keep updated with local public safety alerts at the Patch Montclair Facebook page. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com