Crime & Safety

Cedar Grove Cops Find Alleged Vandals With Social Media Photo

Three alleged vandals smashed an excavator's windshield, then took a photo of themselves sitting on the damaged equipment, police said.

CEDAR GROVE, NJ — Cedar Grove police used a social media post to identify three people who allegedly vandalized a piece of heavy machinery on Fairview Avenue, authorities said.

According to the Cedar Grove Police Department, an officer responded to a construction site at 125 Fairview Avenue around 9 a.m. on Friday after receiving a report of criminal mischief and burglary to a Komatsu excavator.

The alleged vandals smashed the windshield of the vehicle and damaged the ignition, police stated.

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But a social media post featuring the suspects sitting on the damaged equipment came back to haunt them, authorities added.

“An employee at the site received information from a friend that saw a social media post with the actors sitting on the damaged equipment,” police stated in a release. “[Two officers] conducted an investigation with the information and were able to identify the individuals. As a result, two adults and one juvenile were charged with the offense.”

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