Crime & Safety
Bergen Father And Son Burglarized Neighbor's House, Abused Grandmother: Police
Police were tipped off to Stephen and Vance Willard after they found a blood trail from the victim's house back to theirs, police said.
BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A father and son were charged with burglarizing a neighbor's house after police found a blood trail leading back to their house, authorities said. They were also charged with elder abuse in an investigation involving their mother and grandmother.
Officers responded to a Bergenfield home on Willow Street July 5 to investigate a possible burglary. The 58-year-old homeowner found her rear window shattered after coming home from work, said Bergenfield Police Capt. Mustafa Rabboh.
Detectives found blood on the broken window's sill and a blood trail leading from the house to the backyard of Vance and Stephen Willard's home July 6, Rabboh said. Their home is next to the victim's.
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Police investigated and learned that Stephen Willard, 28, burglarized the woman's residence with help from his father, Vance Willard, 61; cash and jewelry were stolen from the residence, the captain said.
As part of the burglary investigation, authorities learned on Monday that the father and son victimized their 84-year-old mother and grandmother, Rabboh said. They failed to provide and withheld "certain necessities" and took and sold items from her home, he said.
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As a result of the burglary investigation, Vance Willard was charged with burglary, hindering apprehension and obstructing a government function. He was released on his own recognizance pending a court date.
Stephen Willard was charged with burglary, theft and criminal mischief. He was taken to the Bergen County Jail and subsequently released, Rabboh said.
Regarding the investigation involving the grandmother, the men were each charged with elder abuse and fencing and arrested on those charges, Rabboh said. Both men are lodged in the Bergen County Jail pending a detention hearing.
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Photo: Vance Willard, 61, and Stephen Willard, 28/Bergenfield Police Department/Background image via Shutterstock
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