By: Richard L. Smith
A Georgia man has been arrested and a second suspect, now 18, has been charged in connection with a violent home invasion burglary that took place in Cliffside Park last year, according to a statement released by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.
Prosecutor Mark Musella announced that Deterriynn T. Lewis, 24, of Lithonia, Georgia, was taken into custody following a months-long investigation into an armed burglary at a residence on Columbia Avenue.
Charges were also filed against a second suspect from DeKalb County, Georgia, who was a juvenile at the time of the crime.
Authorities say the incident occurred on the evening of May 9, 2025, when officers from the Cliffside Park Police Department responded to reports of an armed burglary in progress.
By the time officers arrived, the suspects had already fled the scene.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from inside and around the home, which showed three masked individuals inside the residence.
Two of the suspects appeared to be armed. The group allegedly stole several high-end designer purses before escaping in a black Kia Sorento.
The case was later taken over by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigations Squad, which worked jointly with Cliffside Park police to identify those responsible. 
Detectives ultimately determined that Lewis and the teenage suspect were two of the three individuals involved in the armed home invasion.
On January 20, 2026, detectives, with assistance from the DeKalb County Police Department, located and arrested Lewis near his home in Lithonia.
He is accused of leading the armed burglary, involving a juvenile in the commission of the crime, illegally possessing weapons, and stealing property from the residence.
Lewis is currently being held in the DeKalb County Jail while awaiting extradition to New Jersey.
The second suspect, who was already in custody in Georgia on an unrelated matter, has also been charged in connection with the home invasion.
Officials said he remains detained in Georgia and is expected to be extradited to Bergen County to face the charges.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue working to identify the third suspect involved in the incident.