Montclair Sees 2 Car Thefts, ‘Suspicious’ Driveway Encounter On Same Day: Police

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Two vehicle thefts and a “suspicious incident” in a local resident’s driveway were reported on the same day this week in Montclair, authorities say.

The Montclair Police Department released the following details about the incidents, which took place Monday:

• Christopher Street – A Christopher Street resident told officers that she got a notification via her doorbell camera there was motion at her front door at 3:46 a.m. When she looked at the surveillance footage, she saw a man in a ski mask standing at the door. A second notification and video showed a second masked man standing in the driveway near two luxury vehicles. The cars and home were locked, and the suspects left the area. Police said one suspect was wearing a dark zip-up jacket, black sweatpants and light sneakers. The other suspect was wearing a blue sweatshirt, black sweatpants, black shoes and a glove on his left hand.
• Walnut Street – A vehicle owner told officers that she left her 2026 Hyundai Wagon on Walnut Street between 2 and 4 p.m. The car was left unlocked with the keys inside. When the owner returned, the vehicle was gone. Surveillance footage in the area shows three people walking east on Walnut Street. The trio stop at the passenger side of the vehicle, get in and drive east on Walnut Street. Two of them were wearing dark-colored sweatshirts, and one was wearing a gray sweatshirt.
• Lincoln Street – A Lincoln Street resident reported that he parked his 2012 Jeep Cherokee in his driveway around 9:40 p.m. When he went outside the following morning, he saw it was no longer there. The vehicle’s owner said he left the key fob inside of the car and the car was unlocked. An officer later saw someone driving the Jeep through the red light at Pine Street and Glenridge Avenue around 4 a.m. The officer attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the driver fled east on Bloomfield Avenue into Glen Ridge and the officer terminated the pursuit. The vehicle hadn’t been reported stolen at the time it was spotted, police said.

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