‘Suspicious’ Man Seen In Montclair Backyards, Cops Give Chase

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Montclair residents reported a pair of incidents involving suspicious men on their property earlier this month, one of which ended with a car chase and crash, police say.

According to the Montclair Police Department, a Glenwood Road resident returned home on Dec. 3 to find an unknown man inside. The resident fled the home and called police, who later found that the suspect apparently gained entry to the home via an unlocked rear door.

It didn’t appear that anything was stolen during the encounter, police said.

The victim described the man as an African-American male about 20 to 30-years-old and wearing a hooded jacket, police said.

MAN SEEN IN YARDS, POLICE CAR CHASE

Montclair police responded to a separate report of a suspicious man on private property the same day, authorities said.

According to the Montclair Police Department, residents of The Fairway reported seeing a “suspicious” man in the rear yards of their homes. Officers arriving on the scene saw an Infinity sedan flee the scene on Greenview Way.

Montclair police gave chase, pursuing the car down Bellevue Avenue to Broad Street in Bloomfield. The driver of the Infinity then lost control of the car and crashed into some nearby bushes and trees, authorities said.

The suspect fled the vehicle on foot and wasn’t located. The residents described the man as an African-American male wearing a hooded sweatshirt, police said.

It wasn’t clear if the two Dec. 3 incidents were related. No additional information was immediately available.

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