Crime & Safety

Woman Assaults Stranger In Front Of Cops At Westfield Train Station: Blotter

A stolen car, an attempted car burglary, and thefts of catalytic converters were reported last week in Westfield.

WESTFIELD, NJ — An assault charge, a stolen car, an attempted car burglary, and thefts of catalytic converters were reported last week in Westfield.

On July 12 at 3:45 a.m., Alicia Hurtado, 34, Plainfield was arrested for simple assault.

During an unrelated police investigation at the Southside Train Station Parking Lot, Hurtado interrupted the investigation and assaulted the victim who was a stranger to Hurtado, said Westfield Police.

Find out what's happening in Westfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

This assault happened in police presence and Hurtado was placed under arrest, said police.

Hurtado was taken to Westfield Police Headquarters and released on a summons with a future court date.

Find out what's happening in Westfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

See the other Westfield Police Blotter items from July 9 to July 15:

On July 9 at 2:06 a.m.: A resident of the 600 block of Westfield Avenue reports their vehicle was stolen during the overnight hours between July 8 and July 9. The victim's vehicle was parked in their driveway and was blocked in by another vehicle. Someone drove over a lawn to get the vehicle onto the roadway before leaving the area. The vehicle taken has an approximate value of $50,000.

On July 9 at 4:55 a.m.: A resident of the 500 block of South Avenue West report the theft of a bicycle. The bicycle was stolen from a bicycle rack at the property by a tall, slender black man wearing a red hat at around 4:55 a.m. on July 9. The bicycle is described as a blue "GT" 26 inch Men's Mountain Bike, no value or serial number given at this time.

On July 9 at 9:05 a.m.: A resident of the 100 block of Sussex Street reports an attempted burglary to his vehicle that was parked in his private driveway. The victim reports that a black man, wearing all black clothing, walked up to his locked vehicle and pulled on the door handles, attempting to gain entry. The suspect then fled to a dark-colored Nissan in the roadway where a black male driver was waiting and the vehicle fled southbound on Central Avenue. The suspect vehicle Nissan had a darkly tinted rear license plate cover which obstructed the registration's view.

On July 12 at 10 a.m.: A business owner on Lincoln Plaza responded to Westfield Police Headquarters to report that a bank in Westfield notified them of an attempted fraud. Specifically, a person entered the bank with an altered check belonging to the business and attempted to deposit the check fraudulently. The business owner suffered no monetary loss.

On July 13 at 10:32 a.m.: A driver for a delivery service reported a suspicious incident that occurred on Orchard Street and Elm Street. The driver stated an unknown man approached him requesting an item that was to be delivered to a resident. The driver knew the person speaking to him was not the resident and advised the person he was calling the police. The person then fled the area on foot.

On July 13 at 6:07 p.m.: A 200 block of Edgewood Avenue resident reports being a victim of criminal mischief that led to theft from their vehicle. The resident reported an issue with their vehicle and upon inspection learned that their exhaust system to the vehicle had been damaged and the catalytic converter for the vehicle was stolen. The cost of the damage is unknown as well as the cost to replace the catalytic converter.

On July 14 at 9:58 a.m.: A 200 block of Edgewood Avenue resident reports being a victim of criminal mischief that led to theft from their vehicle. The resident reported an issue with their vehicle and upon inspection learned that their exhaust system to the vehicle had been damaged and the catalytic converter for the vehicle was stolen. The cost of the damage is unknown as well as the cost to replace the catalytic converter.

On July 15 at 11:40 p.m.: A resident of the 900 block of Dunham Avenue reports the theft of an electric vehicle charging cable from the exterior of their residence. Sometime between July 13 and the early morning hours of July 16, an Audi electric vehicle charging cable worth around $400 was taken from the side of the residence where it was last plugged into an outlet.

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