Crime & Safety
Police Blotter: Multiple Robbery Arrests
The following arrest information was supplied by the South Orange Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction.
- A West Fairview Avenue resident was a victim of a robbery and assault while walking in front of his residence on Nov. 8 at approximately 7:35p.m. The victim said as he was nearing his home on West Fairview, two young black men approached him, each approximately 5'8" in height. One was wearing a yellow shirt. One of the men punched the victim in his mouth and when the victim fell to the ground the men removed his tote bag and fled the area. The victim said when he got up to chase after the men, one of them turned toward him and he saw a knife in the man's hand. The suspects, according to a witness in the area, may have fled into a waiting silver vehicle, possibly an Audi, which was parked on Village Road.
- Police have apprehended a 27-year-old East Orange man who allegedly stole two purses from a Centre Street home kitchen table on Nov. 8. The victim said she was doing some lawn work in the front of her home when the suspect, identified as Cedric Tate, allegedly entered an open rear door of the house. Officers searched the area and located Tate in the rear yard of a neighbor’s home around 1:50 p.m. Police say Tate was casing homes and entering driveways at the time. When police discovered Tate, he fled before being apprehended. Police found Tate in possession of burglary tools, but were unable to locate the stolen purses.
- Desmond Thomas, 21, of Newark, was arrested on robbery and weapons possession charges on Nov. 9 for an incident . Thomas is a suspect in the robbery at gunpoint of a South Orange resident while the victim was in her driveway on Fairview Avenue. Detectives were able to use evidence from the scene to link Thomas the crime. He is currently being held at the Essex County Jail for a prior South Orange robbery, which occurred on Sept. 7.
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