For the second time in a week, a home here was burgled while the residents were home — only this time, unlike the last, the residents were wide awake when it all happened, the Nutley Police Department said.
Police offered the following account of the incident:
On Thursday, June 2, a resident contacted police to report that someone had entered their home. The victim said that while he was on the first floor of his home, he heard the rear doorbell ring.
The victim didn’t answer the door.
Shortly thereafter, someone was heard banging on the front door.
At this point, the victim grabbed his keys and observed someone breaking through the front door.
The suspect, described as a white man, approximately 6 feet tall, 180 pounds, with a small mustache, reportedly entered one of the bedrooms at the house. The man then fled through the front door and the victim ran out the back door.
Officers and the NPD’s Detective Bureau arrived to assume the investigation.
The neighborhood was canvassed for additional information and the scene was processed. Police urge anyone with information about the burglary to contact the Nutley Police Department at 973-284-4940.
Chief Thomas Strumolo said that to ensure a home is unoccupied, burglars often ring bells and knock on doors prior to attempting entry. When a resident doesn’t answer, the actor will assume no one is home.
Strumolo said if residents do not want to answer door, they should yell from an upstairs window, or through the door, that you are “not interested.” If the bell ringer is an unknown person, call police. It is the partnership between law enforcement and township residents that increases likelihood of apprehending criminal suspects, the chief said.
— Kevin Canessa Jr.
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, a place where he has served on and off since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on Facebook Live, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to West Hudson to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.