Couple Charged With Theft at Old Essex County Hospital Center

Two suspects have been charged in connection with a theft at the old Essex County Hospital complex in Cedar Grove last night, sheriff’s department officials said Thursday.

The arrests were made through a joint effort between Cedar Grove and Verona police officers, the Verona Fire Department, and the Essex County Sheriff's Patrol Division.

According to Sheriff Armando Fontoura, Cedar Grove police officer Edward Colon was on patrol in the area of the defunct psychiatric hospital when he heard the sound of someone removing copper siding from the roof of building No. 5 in the complex at 10:30 on Wednesday night.

As Colon investigated, he noticed an aluminum ladder propped up against the side of the building, and an unattended late-model black Jeep Cherokee nearby.

Colon called for back-up, at which time Verona police officers and Essex County Sheriff's Patrol Division officers joined him at the scene.

Unable to find a roof access point within the structure, the officers called the Verona Fire Department, who responded with Ladder Truck 12 to enable officers to search the roof.

As the ladder went up, Cedar Grove police officer Jason Wolfstirn saw a man try to exit from a rooftop window, only to duck back inside when he spotted the officer.

Police re-entered the building, and found the suspect hiding behind a wall.

John "Johnny Vigs" Viglione, 52, of Ringwood, was arrested and charged with theft and resisting arrest. A duffel bag and a crowbar Viglione admitted he was using were found on the roof of the building.

A motor vehicle records check of the Jeep revealed the owner was Susan Baker, 46, also of Ringwood, who Viglione told officers was his girlfriend, adding  she had dropped him off at the hospital center.

A few hours later, police say Baker arrived at Verona Police Headquarters on Bloomfield Avenue, and asked an officer which law enforcement agency patrolled the hospital center. Before she got her answer, Baker left the police station and was stopped on Bloomfield Avenue and arrested.

Both suspects were charged with theft of immovable property and conspiracy. Viglione was hit with an additional charge of resisting arrest, and Baker was also charged with hindering apprehension.

After processing at the Sheriff's Bureau of Criminal Identification, the pair were released, pending a court appearance on the charges.

In a subsequent interview, Fontoura said it wasn't the first time the complex had been visited by would-be thieves looking for scrap metal to steal and sell off.

"These buildings have been targeted by thieves before. Patrol of the hospital complex by multiple law enforcement agencies continues. Everyone should know that the condition of these structures is poor and they are considered dangerous.  However, the price of copper scrap is apparently a determining factor for would-be thieves," he said Thursday.

The old Essex County Hospital Center is a former psychiatric hospital which opened in 1896, and remained in use until it was replaced with a modern facility on Grove Avenue in 2006. Located within Hilltop Reservation in Cedar Grove, the site of the abandoned hospital is a magnet for curiosity seekers, which has resulted in numerous arrests throughout the years of its disuse. The center has also been a regular fixture on "ghost hunting" television shows.