Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose reports the arrest of Nathaniel Hartwell, 30, of Newark, in connection with three restaurant burglaries in Newark over the past two days.
According to police, at approximately 4:40 a.m. yesterday, a man shattered the drive-thru window of McDonald’s, located at 913 18th Avenue. No cash was taken, but the suspect was seen by Police on surveillance camera inside the restaurant.
Police report that on Monday, shortly after 4:20 a.m., police responded to Checkers, located at 111 Hartford Street, on a burglary call. The store’s cash registers were found on the floor and $225.00 was stolen. Officers observed on surveillance camera a male break the glass of the drive-thru window and enter the restaurant, before removing cash from the registers.
Also on Monday, at approximately 9:40 p.m., a man broke into Dunkin Donuts, located at 802 South Orange Avenue, by pushing in the store’s drive-thru window.
The suspect stole $200.00 from the cash registers, which were found on the floor upon Police response. Officers observed on surveillance camera a man inside the restaurant who fled through the store’s back exit door.
Detectives investigating these burglaries identified Hartwell as a suspect in each of these incidents and obtained a warrant for his arrest.
Hartwell was charged with burglary, theft and criminal mischief after he was arrested in East Orange for a similar break-in at Popeye’s, 929 South Orange Avenue.
These charges are merely accusations. This suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.