Lost Cat Scam, Home Break-In, Bike Thefts Reported In Westfield

WESTFIELD, NJ — A lost cat scam, bike thefts, and home break-ins were reported in Westfield over the past week, according to the latest blotter.

Westfield Police Blotter – Nov. 12 to Nov. 18:

On Nov. 12 at 9:30 a.m.: A resident of the 500 block of Lawrence Avene reports an unauthorized purchase of an item using the victim's personal credit card. On Nov. 12, the victim received an email confirmation for a purchase of an iPhone 12 Pro valued at $1,171.81. The victim's address on file with the credit card used was also changed by the suspect at the time of purchase. It is unknown at this time how or when the victim's identity and information were compromised. The purchase was canceled before any monetary loss occurred.

On Nov. 13 at 5:08 p.m.: A resident of Westfield responded to WPD Headquarters to report an act of fraud. The resident states her cat had been missing for around 24 hours at which time she posted an alert on a local missing animal website "pawboost.com". Next, she received an email from someone referring to themself as "Ryan Lopez" who stated they were in possession of her cat and would turn it over at the Southside Train Station after the cat's owner paid $100 via a payment application. It was determined the subject was not in the area of Westfield and was not in possession of the victim's cat.

On Nov. 14 at 7 a.m.: A resident of the 900 block of Minisink Way reported a suspicious incident. He states at 7 a.m. he discovered his front door and the gate to his rear yard to be open, after closing them earlier in the morning. It is unknown if anyone made entry to the home.

On Nov. 14 at 11:44 a.m.: Property was found at a business located on the 200 block of East North Avenue during the late morning hours. The property is described as a silver ring containing stones. The ring was placed in safekeeping at the Westfield Police Department.

On Nov. 14 at 6:30 p.m.: A Westfield resident reported a theft of their bicycle from the Northside Train Station. The bicycle owner stated on this date sometime between the hours of 7:05 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., an unknown suspect(s) removed their black beach cruiser, all black in color, with the name "6KU," valued at $300 from the bike rack where it was secured.

On Nov. 14 at 9:01 p.m.: A resident from Mohican Drive reported a suspicious incident. The resident reported being in his home when an unknown actor(s) opened his garage door. He further stated that he had observed the keypad to his garage left open on previous dates. No items were taken from the garage.

On Nov. 14 at 10:28 p.m.: A Westfield resident reported a theft of their bicycle from the Northside Train Station. The bicycle owner stated on this date sometime between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 9:20 p.m. an unknown suspect(s) removed their Specialized Stumpjumper, blue in color, with a little gray and black lettering, valued at $500 from the bike rack where it was secured. The bicycle lock valued at $20 was stolen as well.

On Nov. 16 at 1:57 a.m.: A resident of the 700 block of West Broad Street reported a theft of a check and unauthorized deposit of same by an unknown suspect. The victim physically mailed the check and suffered a monetary loss of around $1,100 as the check was deposited through a mobile application to a fraudulent recipient.

On Nov. 16 at 5:45 a.m.: A resident of the 300 block of Orenda Circle reported a burglary to his residence. The victim states that a loud noise was heard while he was upstairs in his home. He then found a front bay window on the first floor to be ajar and saw a suspect vehicle, described as a gray Land Rover SUV, fleeing the scene. No items from his home or vehicle appeared to be missing. Further investigation found that the window had been forcefully pried open using a tool.

On Nov. 16 at 6 p.m.: A resident reported that their bicycle was stolen from the South Side Train Station bicycle rack. The victim stated that they secured the bicycle to the bicycle rack in the morning and upon his return in the evening his bicycle and the locking mechanism were gone. It is presumed that the unknown actor(s) damaged the locking mechanism to steal the bicycle. The approximate value of the bicycle is $400 and the approximate value of the locking mechanism is $50.

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