Crime & Safety
Essex County Man Faces 46 Burglary Charges In Verona, Fairfield
A man accused of 25 acts of burglary in Verona also allegedly led Fairfield police on a car chase that ended with a fiery crash, police say.
VERONA, NJ — Verona police have charged an Essex County man with vehicle theft and 25 acts of burglary after an alleged crime spree in the township last July. The same man is also accused of illegally entering 21 cars in Fairfield and leading police on a car chase that ended with a fiery crash in August, authorities said.
According to the Verona Police Department, authorities charged Jonathan Joseph, 24, of Irvington, with 25 counts of burglary, two counts of criminal attempt, and a count of motor vehicle theft. The charges stem from a lengthy investigation into a burglary spree that occurred in the Laning area of town this past July.
- See related article: Car Stolen In Verona, 15 Break-Ins; Cops Issue Warning
At the time of the alleged burglaries, a person was seen on several home video systems in Verona and West Caldwell “pulling on car door handles and walking around homes,” police said.
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Verona Police Chief Christopher Kiernan said that the charges against Joseph are partly due to video footage captured by local homeowners’ surveillance systems, as well as a “tremendous amount of leg work and cooperation” between West Essex Police Departments.
“It was a multi-dimensional investigation that spread throughout several counties,” Kiernan said, thanking VPD Detective Sergeant Timothy Banta and Detective TJ Conroy, as well as the West Caldwell and Woodbridge police departments.
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Joseph is currently being housed in Middlesex County Jail, police said.
Earlier this month, police in Fairfield accused Joseph of illegally entering 21 vehicles in Fairfield on Aug. 31, stealing one of them and leading police on a car chase that ended with a fiery crash near the Stepping Ridge complex on Little Falls Road.
- See related article: Police Chase Ended With Fiery Crash In Essex County
Joseph was arrested by Woodbridge police on Sept. 22 on unrelated charges, authorities said.
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