1 Arrested In Home Burglary With Sleeping Cranford Family Inside: Cops

CRANFORD, NJ — A juvenile from Essex County was charged following a month-long investigation into a home burglary that occurred while a family was sleeping inside, Cranford Police announced Thursday.

On Jan. 21 at around 3 a.m., the police received a report of a residential burglary on Crane Parkway.

The homeowner told police that two unknown people had broken into their home by prying open a rear first-floor window.

Officers saw that the victim had several high-end vehicles parked in their driveway and that the burglars were likely searching for the car keys, said police.

The homeowner and their family were present during the incident, said police.

During the investigation, Detective Jason D’Agostino identified one of the suspects as a 16-year-old male from Newark.

The Union County Prosecutor’s Office approved charges of burglary, theft, and criminal mischief, and the juvenile was sent to the Essex County Juvenile Detention Center pending a court appearance.

Cranford Police Chief Ryan Greco stated that this was the second set of charges lodged against a juvenile in recent days for a crime associated with high-end vehicles.

"Cranford is not immune to these types of events, however, advances in our crime-fighting technology, proactive policing by our Patrol Division, and a thorough investigative follow-up by our Detective Bureau resulted in a successful resolution to this crime," said Greco.

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