Fraud, Car Break-Ins Reported In Westfield

WESTFIELD, NJ — Multiple reports of fraud, identity theft, car break-ins were reported recently in Westfield.

Westfield Police Blotter – March 10 to March 16:

On March 11 at 8:22 a.m.: A 100 block of Wells St. resident reported criminal mischief to their property. Specifically, that someone cut a power supply cable for a camera system. There was no other damage reported.

On March 11 at 12 p.m.: A resident of the 100 block of Jefferson Avenue reported that they were a victim of fraud. They reported that on March 11 an unknown person made two $1,000 withdrawals from their Chase Bank account via a mobile application totaling $2,000.

On March 11 at 12:55 p.m.: A resident in the 800 block of Prospect St. reported that someone unlawfully accessed a cell phone by deceiving them, claiming to be a representative of a Social Media platform used by the reporting person. The actor then tried to access the reporting person’s banking accounts. The actor's apparent intent was to commit fraud by trying to transfer the funds of the reporting person to another account. This transaction was not completed, and the victim suffered no monetary loss.

On March 11 at 6:05 p.m.: A victim in the 100 block of Ayliffe Ave. reported someone got out of a white-colored Porsche SUV which was parked in front of their home. The suspect went up the victim's driveway and tried to gain entry into the victim's BMW X5 SUV. The victim's vehicle was locked therefore the suspect was unable to gain entry, at which time the suspect returned to the Porsche SUV. The suspect white Porsche SUV was later reported stolen out of another jurisdiction.

On March 12 at 11:30 a.m.: A Manchester Dr. resident reported that they were the victim of identity theft. Specifically, someone tried to establish banking accounts and applied for a credit card at a financial institution in their name. The resident stated that they are unaware of who tried to open the account without their authorization or how the information they used to attempt to open the account was obtained. The victim reports no financial loss at this time.

On March 12 at 12 p.m.: A resident of the 700 block of Boulevard was the victim of an incident of attempted fraud. The complainant reported that someone called him on the phone and gathered personal information. This led to attempts to withdraw funds from the victim's Chase Bank account which were flagged by the bank. The victim suffered no monetary loss.

On March 12 at 12:25 p.m.: A resident of the 200 block of Massachusetts Street reported that on March 12 they were a victim of identity theft. The victim stated he received a letter from the IRS indicating someone tried to file a tax return under his name with his social security number. The victim states this was done without their permission, and the return had not been accepted at this time.

On March 13 at 5 a.m.: A resident of the 700 block of West Broad Street reported that she heard a loud noise outside her residence as well as the sound of a large truck driving past her residence. Upon further inspection, she noticed that the electrical panel to her residence was damaged and that she was currently out of electricity in her residence. She believes that the cause of this damage was the large truck. Attempts to locate this truck were unsuccessful.

On March 14 at 11:42 p.m.: Westfield Police Officers conducted a motor vehicle stop in the 1000 block of Central Avenue and found the driver, Saeed U. Khan, 30, Plainfield, to have an outstanding traffic warrant out of Linden City Municipal Court for $250. Khan was released on scene with an R.O.R. after being processed roadside.

On March 15 at 4:45 a.m.: A resident of the 800 block of Winyah Avenue reported a burglary to their motor vehicle. The suspect entered the victim's 2022 Ford Expedition and removed $616 in cash.

On March 15 at 5:39 a.m.: A theft of a bicycle occurred from the rear yard of a residence in the 500 block of North Chestnut Street. The owner described the bicycle as a blue-colored "Raleigh" brand bicycle with blue-colored tape on the left handlebar and no right-side handlebar grip. The suspect was captured on camera and described as an adult male.

On March 15 at 6:44 a.m.: An unknown suspect tried to make entry into a Jeep Grand Cherokee parked in a driveway on the 800 block of Winyah Avenue. The attempt was thwarted by the Jeep's doors being locked. The owner of the vehicle discovered this attempt upon reviewing their security camera footage several hours later.

On March 15 at 6:45 a.m.: An unknown suspect(s) committed burglary to a motor vehicle parked in a driveway on the 500 block of Kimball Turn. Several hours later the owner of the vehicle discovered the Jeep's interior to be disturbed with items left behind by the suspect(s).

On March 15 at 2:43 p.m.: A resident of Drummond Road reported fraudulent activity to a credit card. The resident stated an unauthorized purchase was made, possibly with the suspect’s name for $1,400. The resident stated this was the only fraudulent activity observed and is currently disputing the charge.

On March 16 at 2:27 a.m.: Officers discovered a parked vehicle on the 500 block of East Broad Street with its rear passenger window shattered. After speaking to the owner of the vehicle, it was determined that someone tried to steal the vehicle after learning that the steering column was removed and damaged.

On March 16 at 1:08 p.m.: A resident of the 500 block of Cumberland Street reported that their motor vehicle's window was broken out and the steering column was damaged. The motor vehicle burglary occurred sometime during the overnight hours between March 15 and March 16. The vehicle was parked curbside. The monetary amount of damage caused was not known at the time of report.

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