Strong Arm Robbery in Watchung Plaza Hours After 9/11 Service

On Sept. 11 at about 3 p.m., a strong armed robbery involving a teenager was reported in Watchung Plaza, just a few hours after the 9/11 Memorial Service took place in the same area.

Police spoke to a woman who said she saw a 14-year-old Montclair youth hiding in the bushes of her Holland Avenue home at about 2:50 p.m. When she confronted him, he told her he was hiding “because there were some people looking for him to beat him up and take his money.”

The woman then escorted the youth to Watchung Plaza to help him retrieve his bicycle, which he had left behind while running from the suspects.

The youth then spotted the suspects in the area of a parking lot on Fairfield Street. The suspects ran off when they saw he was with a woman. The suspects were last seen running south on the nearby railroad tracks.

According to the youth, he was with a friend in Watchung Plaza when they were confronted by two-teenaged black boys. The first suspect is described as 13-16 years old, 5’4”, with cornrows and last seen wearing a white tank top. The second suspect is described as 13-16 years old and last seen wearing a blue shirt.

The suspects asked the youth what he had in his pocket, and he proceeded to show them his wallet. The suspects saw $10, and demanded he give it to them or they would beat him up. He then gave the suspects the money.

While he was giving the suspects the money, the suspects were able to see a second fold in the wallet and asked what else was in there. The boy then ran because he had about $30 more. The suspects chased the youth, who was able to hide in the bushes and was found by the woman.

Anyone with further information is asked to contact the Juvenile Aid Bureau at (973) 509-4733.

In other police news:

Car Theft

On Sept. 9, a woman reported her unlocked Jeep Grand Cherokee was stolen from her High Street driveway. Anyone with further information is asked to contact Det. Ricky Singleton at (973) 509-4722.

Driving While Intoxicated

On Sept. 9, police received information from the Verona Police Department about an erratic driver that was heading east on Bloomfield Avenue into Montclair.

According to the information, the driver of a Toyota Sienna had been involved in a road rage incident in Verona, and was tailgating. Montclair Police spotted a car fitting the description driving in an erratic manner and tailgating another car in the area of Bloomfield Avenue and Lloyd Road.

Police stopped the car and noticed the driver, later identified as Raymond Pabon, 36, of Montclair, had the smell of an alcoholic beverage on his breath.

Pabon was given a field sobriety test and arrested. He was issued motor vehicle summonses for driving while intoxicated, failure to submit to a breathalyzer test, tailgating, driving while intoxicated within a school zone, improper passing and failure to maintain lane. He was later released.

Shoplifting

On Sept. 10, an employee of Merit Liquors on Bloomfield Avenue reported a suspect walked out of the store with a bottle of liquor

Police reviewed the surveillance video which showed a suspect walking out of the store with a bottle of Bacardi rum, valued at $25.

The suspect is described as a white man with light brown hair in his mid- to late 30s. He was last seen wearing a long-sleeved blue jacket with a white undershirt and blue jeans. Anyone with further information is asked to contact Det. Sergeant Ron Redmond at (973) 509-4727.

Burglary

On Sept. 11, a bicycle was reported stolen from an apartment building on Gates Avenue.

The bicycle is described as a burgundy Diamondback Edgewood men’s bike, valued at $329. There are no suspects at this time. Anyone with further information is asked to contact the Det. Bureau at (973) 509-7543.

Burglary

On Sept. 11, an employee of The Bikery on Valley Road reported a burglary had occurred between closing time on Sept. 10 and the store’s reopening the next day.

The employee told police he found someone had burglarized the storage container used to house bicycles that were being repaired. It appeared that the suspect forcefully damaged the locks to the storage unit to gain entry.

The employee reported a black Bianchi-Milano men’s bicycle, valued at $600, with red lettering and a red basket, a black spray painted men’s Trek mountain bike, valued at $85, and an unknown make and model bicycle were stolen from the property.

There are no suspects at this time. Anyone with further information is asked to contact the Det. Bureau at (973) 509-7543.

Theft from a Car

On Sept. 11, a woman reported several documents had been removed from the glove box of her unlocked Lexus SUV on Highland Avenue in Upper Montclair.

The woman told police she had parked her Lexus in the driveway on Sept. 10 at about 5 p.m. When she returned to the car the next morning, she discovered the documents on the passenger’s seat and a black leather driving glove, valued at $30, had been stolen from the car.

There are no suspects at this time. Anyone with further information is asked to contact Det. Lynn McCarthy at (973) 509-47

Theft from a Car

On Sept. 11 at about 7:50 p.m., a car was damaged and burglarized while parked at the First Congregational Church on South Fullerton Avenue.

The owner told police she parked her Nissan Pathfinder in the church’s parking lot at about 5:15. When she returned to the car about 2½, she discovered that the driver’s side lock had been damaged and the contents of the glove compartment and center console had been strewn about the car.

In addition, she noticed a laptop computer (make and model unknown) and a laptop computer carrying case valued at $95 were gone.

There are no suspects at this time. Anyone with further information is asked to contact Det. Terence Turner at (973) 509-4724.

Suspicious Activity

On Sept. 11, someone reported an unlocked car had been entered on Edgecliff Road in Upper Montclair.

The owner told police her Acura TSX had been entered sometime between 11 p.m. on Sept. 10 and 8 a.m. on Sept. 11.

The owner said when she returned to the car, she discovered the break-in, although nothing was reported missing.

There are no suspects at this time. Anyone with further information is asked to contact Det. Lynn McCarthy at (973) 509-4725.

Vandalism to a Car

On Sept. 12, a man reported someone had vandalized his gray Infiniti while it was parked in his unlocked garage on Rockledge Court.

He said the garage had been left open when he parked the car on Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. When he returned to the car on Sept. 12 at 8:50 a.m., he found the front driver’s side lock had been damaged. There was nothing reported as missing from the car and there are no suspects at this time. 

Burglary

On Sept. 12, a man reported a burglary in progress at New Calvary Church on Maple Avenue.

The man told police he opened the church for Morning Prayer at 6 a.m. and heard a noise coming from the second floor. He went upstairs to investigate and found the computer room in disarray.

He then saw a man running alongside the church on Elmwood Avenue, carrying a video camera and a tripod stand. A check of the property revealed a Macintosh computer, valued at $650, and a video camera and tripod stand, valued at $600, had been stolen.

The suspect is described as possibly being a Hispanic man or a light-skinned black man, 5’6”, and last seen wearing a gray-hooded sweatshirt and dark-colored pants. He was last seen running through the rear yard of the First Seven Day Adventist Church, located at the corner of Elmwood Avenue and Mission Street.

Anyone with further information is asked to contact Det. Ray Gulbin at (973) 509-4739.

Theft from a Car

On Sept. 9, a Glenwood Road man reported a theft from his Infiniti G37 while it was parked in his driveway in Upper Montclair.

He said he parked it there on Sept. 8 at 8:45 p.m. When he returned to the car the next morning, he discovered the driver’s side door lock was damaged.

He reported an iTouch, valued at $300, a Sony digital camera, valued at $150, and a Nintendo DS, valued at $150, had been stolen from the vehicle.

There are no suspects at this time. Anyone with further information is asked to contact Det. Lynn McCarthy at (973) 509-4725.

Thefts from Cars

On Sept. 9, a woman reported thefts from two cars, a Porsche Cayenne and a Mercedes-Benz S5, parked in her driveway on Warren Place on Sept. 8.

She said someone had stolen a Beltronics radar detector, valued at $250, from the Porsche.

She also discovered the BMW was entered, with paperwork found strewn about the car. There are no suspects at this time.

Anyone with further information is asked to contact Det. Lynn McCarthy at (973) 509-4725.

Burglary

On Sept. 12, a burglary was reported at Popeye's in the Lackawanna Plaza Mall.

An employee told police as she arrived for work at 8:30 a.m., she discovered the security gate to the restaurant was open. After checking to see if anyone was in the restaurant, she checked the office and found the office door was open and the safe normally located in the office was missing.

Police were able to view surveillance footage showing the incident is believed to have occurred sometime around 6 a.m.

One man is seen opening the security gate to the business, while another man pulls a dolly carrying the safe.

The first suspect is a man wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt covering his face and a black and gray puffy jacket with gray pants.

The second suspect is a man wearing a black jacket, a black hat and black pants. The suspect appears to be a light-skinned black man.

It is believed that the security gate was not locked prior to the burglary. It is reported that the safe contained $5,300.

Anyone with further information is asked to contact the Det. Bureau at (973) 509-7543.