Man Crawled In Through Window Of Secaucus Home, Police Say

SECAUCUS, NJ — A man crawled in through the basement window of a home late Saturday night in Secaucus, where he was confronted by the homeowners, said police.

This happened at 2:03 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 4, said Secaucus Police in their most recent police blotter, just released to the public Tuesday morning.

The man crawled in through the basement window of a home on Valley Court, unlawfully entering the apartment, said police. He was confronted by one or more of the homeowners, who called 911. The man did not know the homeowners.

Jorge Montoya-Delacruz, 40, of Passaic was charged with criminal trespass [2C:18-3A]. He was not found with any weapon and he was not charged with burglary, as police say he stole nothing from the home or committed any other crime.

He was given a summons to appear in court and was released from police custody. Due to the way bail is handled in New Jersey, only those accused of the most serious crimes, such as murder and sex assault (rape), can be held in jail until trial, or given cash bail.

New Jersey's bail reform was signed into law in 2017 and it eliminated cash bail for all but the most serious of crimes. In New Jersey today, the majority of people accused of a crime are released from jail with a summons to appear in court.

However, many police officers, including Secaucus Police Chief Dennis Miller, have been calling for months now — if not years — for New Jersey to bring back a cash bail system: Police say the people they charge with stealing a car or breaking into a home are let out of jail that very same day, often within an hour of being arrested. Due to 2022's skyrocketing amount of car thefts across the state, more and more NJ police officers and sheriffs are calling for the state to bring back cash bail.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, a liberal Democrat, is calling for people in his city found with illegal guns to be held in jail, saying there has been a surge in gun violence in Newark this past summer. Related: Growing Push To Change Bail In NJ; Lawmakers Want Some Kept In Jail