By: Richard L. Smith
Newark authorities are asking for the community’s help in identifying a suspect who stole a vendor’s van loaded with supplies intended for the city’s Latin Festival.
According to Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda, Sr., the theft occurred overnight between Saturday, August 16, and Sunday morning, August 17, 2025.
The victim had parked a green 2002 Ford Econoline van in the 800 block of Mt. Prospect Avenue at about 11 p.m. When they returned around 7:30 a.m., the vehicle was gone.
Inside the van were essential items the vendor had prepared for the festival on Bloomfield Avenue, including two generators, two steam tables, two deep fryers, three propane tanks, several cases of soda, and multiple folding tables.
Detectives reviewing surveillance video from the area observed a male suspect entering the vehicle at approximately 4 a.m.
The individual then drove northbound on Mt. Prospect Avenue. Police described him as a man with a light complexion, last seen wearing a blue shirt, blue jeans, brown shoes, and a baseball cap.
Director Miranda urges anyone with information about the suspect to contact the Newark Police Division’s 24-hour Crime Stopper tip line at 1-877-NWK-TIPS (1-877-695-8477).