Arrest In Verona, Cedar Grove Was ‘Old-School Police Work’: Chief

VERONA, NJ — Police are crediting “modern day technology” – and old-fashioned cooperation – with the arrest of an auto burglary suspect in Verona and Cedar Grove.

According to the Verona Police Department, the arrest took place on Wednesday as Detective Sgt. Timothy Banta was investigating an auto burglary that took place during the overnight hours. Authorities didn’t release the location of the alleged crime in an initial press statement.

The victim told Banta that someone stole a 55-inch television that was still in the box from the rear of their vehicle. During his investigation, Banta began reviewing home security footage of the incident. At that time, he met with Cedar Grove Police Detective Sgt. Edward Conlon, who happened to also be investigating an attempted motor vehicle theft in the area.

Banta found footage that showed a man “walking in the neighborhood several times,” and based on this and other leads, set up surveillance in the area, authorities said. Soon afterward he allegedly saw the same man from the surveillance video carry the stolen television out of his own home and try to get into a taxi that had just arrived, police said.

Banta then took the alleged thief, Eric White, 20, of Verona, into custody without further incident, police said.

A resulting joint investigation allegedly revealed that White had entered at least two other vehicles in Verona and “several vehicles” in Cedar Grove. White is also a suspect in an attempted motor vehicle theft that took place in Cedar Grove, police said.

Authorities charged White with three counts of burglary, three counts of theft and one count of forgery.

Verona Police Chief Christopher Kiernan credited Banta for his “old-school police work.”

“Combining that with utilizing modern day technology, Banta closed these cases within three hours of being reported,” Kiernan said. “This investigation also highlighted the tremendous and seamless working relationship Verona has with the Cedar Grove police.”

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