By: Richard L. Smith
A coordinated effort between Newark and Montclair Police Departments led to the recovery of a stolen vehicle and the arrest of five individuals, including two juveniles from Newark, in connection with a burglary and vehicle theft in Montclair.
Early on the morning of Tuesday, April 9, the Newark Police Department informed Montclair PD that they were tracking a stolen 2019 Mercedes GLC in Montclair on Highland Avenue.
Montclair officers promptly located the unoccupied Mercedes, which was found running.
The vehicle had been reported stolen from Newark.
While investigating the Mercedes, Newark Police reported a 2023 Audi SQ8 speeding in Newark.
The Audi, which had not been reported stolen at the time, was registered to an address also on Highland Avenue, just blocks from where the Mercedes was discovered.
This led Montclair officers to a residence on Highland Avenue where signs of a residential burglary were evident.
The homeowner, currently out of the country, confirmed the break-in after viewing his home surveillance footage, which recorded two male suspects entering his property at 4:59 a.m. using a crowbar.
The suspects found the Audi keys inside and fled, leaving the Mercedes behind.
Montclair detectives worked closely with the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations Intelligence Center and the Auto Theft Task Force, tracking the Audi through its onboard system.
By approximately 1:30 PM the same day, Police said the Audi was located at the Vince Lombardi rest area on the New Jersey Turnpike in Ridgefield.
A brief foot chase ensued, resulting in the apprehension of five suspects, all known for previous offenses related to burglary and vehicle theft.
The suspects were taken to the New Jersey State Police Auto Theft Task Force barracks for questioning regarding the Montclair burglary. Meanwhile, the recovered Audi was processed by Montclair PD.
Following the investigation, two Newark juveniles, aged 17 and 16, were charged by Montclair Detectives with burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary, motor vehicle theft, and conspiracy to commit motor vehicle theft.
Chief Todd Conforti of Montclair PD praised the collaborative effort: “This is an exceptional example of interagency cooperation resulting in the arrests of five recidivist offenders just hours after the residential burglary and motor vehicle theft in Montclair.”