April 2026 Police Blotter

Burglary

April 8, 2026 (Inwood Terrace): The residential house sitter reported that the alarm to the home began to activate at approximately 4:10 AM. She reported that she then heard footsteps coming from the first floor. It appears entry was made into the home from an unlocked first floor kitchen window. Multiple items on the windowsill had been moved. Nothing was reported stolen from the home as the suspect(s) appeared to have been scared off by the alarm.

April 10, 2026 (Grove Street): A resident of Grove Street reported that she was awoken by the sound of loud banging. When she looked out of her window, she observed two males attempting to enter Grove Liquors. Both were dressed in all black clothing with ski masks. Once the suspects realized that they were being observed, they retreated to a black Mercedes and fled north on Grove Street. The suspects attempted to enter Grove Convenience as well as both stores sustained damage to their front glass doors.

April 11, 2026 (Club Road): Officers responded to a Club Road address at approximately 4:15 AM on an activated residential alarm. Upon arriving, they observed that a kitchen windowpane had been kicked in. A check of the interior of the home revealed that no suspects were inside. The resident reported that he heard glass breaking and yelled out, “The Police are coming”. He then looked out his window and observed two suspects running down his driveway towards Club Road. It does not appear the suspects made entry into the home.

April 11, 2026 (Hitchcock Place): The resident reported that her home was entered at some point between 11:00 AM and 7:30 PM. She stated that when she returned home at 7:30 PM, she discovered a broken first floor window and her rear sliding door ajar. Multiple rooms within the residence had been rummaged through. Surveillance video shows a suspect entering onto the property at approximately 6:00 PM. The male can be described wearing a black face mask, black hooded sweatshirt, 'Nike' backpack and gray sweatpants.

Motor Vehicle Crime

April 9, 2026 (Manor Court): The resident reported that while reviewing surveillance footage from his home, he observed an unknown person rummaging through his 2019 Volkswagen that was parked in the driveway. The vehicle was ransacked but nothing of value was taken.

April 11, 2026 (Bellevue Avenue): The victim reported that his landscaping vehicle was entered while working on Lansing Place. A wallet and iPhone were stolen. His Wells Fargo debit card was attempted to be used at a Dollar General Store in Newark.

April 11, 2026 (Prospect Terrace): The victim reported that while working at a residence on Prospect Terrace, he observed two individuals carrying construction equipment from his work van and placing it in an unknown vehicle. He reported that he was missing a Dewalt Miter Saw, a Milwaukee Miter Saw M18, and a Milwaukee M18.

Theft

April 14, 2026 (Watchung Avenue): The complainant reported that she was at work when she received a notification from her home surveillance system. When she checked the footage, she observed an unknown male taking a package from her front steps. She described the suspect as a black male with a US Postal Service mail bag across his body. He also had a white shirt over his head causing his face to be blocked.

April 18, 2026 (Claremont Avenue): Employees at CVS Pharmacy reported that a female entered the store at approximately 3:10 AM and stole $152.00 worth of merchandise. The suspect, described as a black female with long dreadlocks and wearing all denim, was last seen entering a dark navy sedan.

April 20, 2026 (Orange Road): The victim reported that he received two packages from Amazon at 11:30 AM. According to surveillance footage, at 1:30 PM, a black male, approximately 50 years old, walked onto his porch and took both packages. The suspect was wearing a blue denim jacket and jeans, a black hat and boots. He walked south on Orange Road. The packages contained a set of front and rear brake pads.

April 21, 2026 (Pine Street): The victim reported that an unknown individual(s) broke into her food truck (Silantro Lime Tacos), stealing cash and other items. The victim stated that she parked the vehicle at approximately 2:00 PM on the afternoon of April 20th. She discovered the vehicle was damaged when she returned to the vehicle April 21st, at 8:55 AM. The suspect(s) shattered a passenger side window in order to enter the truck. Once inside, the suspect(s) removed a cash register containing $150.00, candy, chips, and a case of soda.

Burglary / Attempted Burglary

April 15, 2026 (Bloomfield Avenue): Officers responded to The Wine Cellar on Bloomfield Avenue on a report of a burglary that occurred, with an unknown time frame. There was damage to an exterior door to the building. The victim reported LED Signs, sneakers, and a bicycle missing.

April 17, 2026 (Valley Road): At approximately 4:07 AM, Montclair Police Officers responded to 565 Valley Road, CVS Pharmacy, on a report of an attempted burglary. Upon their arrival, they observed that the front glass doors leading to the foyer of the business had been smashed. The suspect(s) hit the door with an unknown object approximately twenty-one times in an attempt to gain entry into the pharmacy. They were unsuccessful.

Montclair Detectives are working with Detectives from Clifton Police Department as it appears that a similar incident occurred at a Stop n Shop in Clifton shortly before the Montclair incident.

Anyone with information can contact Detective Joe Juliano at (973) 509-4724.

Suspicious Activity

April 23, 2026 (South Mountain Avenue): The resident reported that she was reviewing her home surveillance and observed an unknown male the previous day attempting to turn the front door handle, seemingly attempting to make entry into her home. The subject was described as a black male wearing a dark gray waist length coat, black pants, black shoes, and a ski mask. The individual is seen carrying a pizza box and a brown paper bag. The resident believed the individual was pretending to be a door dasher and did not see a car from the direction the male came from.

Theft

April 24, 2026 (Valley Road): Loss Prevention Officers at Kings Supermarket reported three incidents of theft during the week. In the first incident, the suspect entered the parking lot in a white Hyundai sedan. The suspect entered the store and walked through the produce section towards the meats. The suspect then filled a Walmart bag with eight different meat items. The suspect then left the store via the north side exit. The suspect entered his vehicle and left the parking lot. He was described as a white male, 6’01” tall in his thirties. He had brown hair, a brown beard and was wearing a black hooded jacket with "snap on" logo, blue jeans, and black Adidas shoes. The same suspect entered the store on two different occasions that week stealing $226.00 and $229.00 worth of meat.

Arrests

April 24, 2026 (Bloomfield Avenue): A 32-year-old male from Newark was charged with Disorderly Conduct and Resisting Arrest following a dispute on Bloomfield Avenue.

Aggravated Assault

April 27, 2026 (Church Street / S. Fullerton Avenue): An officer patrolling the area of Bloomfield Avenue/Church Street/South Fullerton Avenue observed two adult males involved in a physical altercation. After breaking up the fight, the officer observed the victim, a 33-year-old male from Montclair, bleeding from his face, neck, and stomach. The officer also observed the suspect, a 67-year-old male from Montclair, was holding a folding knife in his left hand. The suspect was ordered to drop the knife and complied with the officer. Both subjects gave conflicting accounts as to how the altercation started. EMS from Bloomfield responded and treated the victim for non-life-threatening lacerations. He was transported to Mountainside Hospital for further medical treatment. The suspect was placed under arrest and charged with Aggravated Assault and Weapons Possession.