Highlights from the Lyndhurst Police blotter

Oct. 17

Someone walked away with a jackhammer valued at $1,400 from the Ridge Exxon station, which is under reconstruction, police said. The theft was reported at 1:37 p.m. by a representative of the Linden-based construction company. Police said a gate to the construction site, at Ridge Road and Kingsland Ave., was left unlocked.

Oct. 16

At 12:53 p.m., police received a report of a bicycle theft. Police said a 52-year-old Lyndhurst man told them he’d parked the two-wheeler, described as a woman’s style red mountain bike, in front of the Municipal Building and went inside to pay a bill. When he returned, the bike was gone, the man told police. The missing bike was valued at $250.

Police went to the ShopRite on New York Ave., at 11:42 a.m., on a report of shoplifting. Police said store security detained Christine Varcadipane, 48, of Union City, after she allegedly tried to leave the store without paying for five bottles of liquor priced at $289 after concealing the bottles in her black shoulder bag. She was issued a summons charging her with shoplifting.

At 9 a.m., police responded to a report of a burglary and theft from 9 Polito Ave. A representative of an Elizabeth construction company doing work at the site told police that someone had apparently used bolt cutters to pry the lock off a container and had removed a cement mixer, a gas-powered blower and hammer drill, all valued at more than $1,000.

A motor vehicle accident, reported at 3:37 a.m., brought police to the 500 block of Summer Ave. where Endeavor Warrick, 19, of Lyndhurst, had driven a 2002 Toyota into a parked 1998 Jeep and then tried to flee, according to police. Warrick was caught by police after a brief foot pursuit and was taken to an area hospital for treatment of what police described as minor injuries suffered in the crash. Warrick was then charged with DWI, unlicensed driver, careless driving and leaving the scene of an accident and was held at Bergen County Jail after failing to post bail of $4,000 with a 10% cash option.

Oct. 15

A report of a gas leak, at 10:13 a.m., brought police to the entrance to Bergen County Riverside Park North where a construction crew had reportedly struck a gas line, according to police. Police notified Public Service Electric & Gas while rerouting traffic away from the park. Police also temporarily evacuated several businesses and residents in the 300 block of Riverside Ave. No one was injured or sickened as a result of the leak, police said.

Oct. 14

At 8:14 p.m., police said they received a report of a bicycle theft from a Kingsland Ave. location. The owner, a 45-yearold North Arlington man, told police he’d chained and locked the red 26-inch bike with a baby seat and special light set attached to a post on Kingsland Ave., between Ridge Road and Milton Ave., at 8:30 a.m. When he returned at 5:15 p.m., however, the bike was gone, the owner told police. The bike and accessories were valued at $500.

– Ron Leir

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