April 4
At 11:47 p.m. police responded to a fire alarm at a Park Ave. apartment complex and were directed to the boiler room where one of the doors appeared to have been pried open. Inside, a smoke alarm was hanging by its wiring and several 40 oz. beer bottles were left near the stairwell. Three juveniles were seen running from the area. An investigation is ongoing.
Was it a case of criminal mischief? At 10:53 a.m. police were called to a Franklin Ave. office building whose occupants noticed that the fiberglass wall on the building’s west side was punctured by holes. Security cameras on the premises were being checked for possible clues.
April 3
A vandal tossed eggs at the home and car of a N. Spring Garden St. resident at 10:59 p.m. A vehicle was observed speeding away from the area at the time of the incident, police said. The homeowner managed to clean up the mess.
A selfish movie fan left the Nutley Public Library at 6:40 p.m. with three DVD films tucked under his shirt but, after being alerted by library staff, police spotted someone matching the thief’s description near Yantacaw Park. They detained David O’Connor, 55, last known living in Nutley, after finding the missing DVDs on him. O’Connor also had an outstanding warrant from Belleville and, after being charged with theft of library materials, was turned over to Belleville P.D. pending a court appearance on the theft charge.
Someone cut through the fence at a Cook Road location and stole copper pipe and wire from the property. The incident was reported by PSE&G at 1:19 p.m. and the utility repaired the fence. An investigation is ongoing.
April 2
A vandal spray painted graffiti containing a vulgar animation, along with the tag KONY on a township street sign near Walnut St. and Nutley Ave. The incident was logged at 3:54 p.m. Anyone with information is asked to call Nutley P.D. at (973) 284-4940.
April 1
A man used a baseball bat to damage her car, a Chase St. woman informed police at 11:21 p.m. Police advised her she had the right to file a complaint against the alleged vandal.
Police are investigating a report from a woman that she’d left $1,000 in cash payment to her attorney in his mail slot the night before but that he claims he never received the money. Police logged the report at 9:05 p.m.
Police and fire units rushed to a Centre St. residence at 5:23 p.m. after being alerted to a gas odor. There, they found that a 1993 Nisan was leaking fuel which was running along the gutter. After deeming the situation hazardous, they confiscated the vehicle.
Police are investigating the sudden death of a 70-year-old woman found in a Hancox Ave. home at 1:52 a.m. Nutley P.D. detectives and Essex County Prosecutor’s Office investigators secured the scene and began an investigation. A forensic medical exam was pending.
Jessica Dobol, 24, of Clifton, was charged with DWI after her vehicle had crashed into a utility pole on Kingsland St. at 1:11 a.m. Dobol was released to a responsible friend, pending a court hearing.
March 31
Police were called to a San Antonio Ave. resident’s home at 8:14 p.m. to search for the resident’s missing 21-year-old son. After a brief investigation, police said the young man returned home, unharmed.
A potential scammer called a King St. resident shortly before 1 p.m. claiming to be a Verizon representative and asking for personal information. When the resident asked for the caller’s name, the person hung up. Police then returned the call, placed from “Magic Jack PC Appliance,” to the unidentified caller who answered, then hung up after police identified themselves.
A disturbance brought police to a Centre St. business at 3:16 a.m. Management then asked a customer to pay his tab and leave and the patron obliged.
March 30
At 5:58 p.m. police went to a Franklin Ave. business to mediate a complaint by a customer upset over not getting his shoes back after having left them several months ago to be fixed. Police said the manager told the customer it was the store’s policy to discard any items left for more than 30 days. Police advised the patron how to file a claim for his shoes.
Owners of a home on Prospect Ave., between Chestnut St. and Mountainview Ave., returned home at 4:06 p.m. to find their front door forced in and their property ransacked. Nutley P.D. detectives were working with the owners to determine all proceeds stolen. The burglary remains under investigation.
