Three Residential Burglaries Over Two Weeks Target Different Sections Of Township

have responded to three residential burglaries across the township over the past two weeks, Chief James Batelli said Friday. Most peculiar about the burglaries – which occurred in the Fardale, Cragmere and West Mahwah sections of town – is that each occurred during daylight hours, Batelli said.

The first burglary happened on Tuesday, May 21, at a home on Glenmere Terrace in Fardale, sometime between 1:30 and 6:30 p.m., Batelli said. According to police, burglars forced the back door open, ransacked the first and second floors, and stole cash and jewelry. The homeowners were not home at the time, police said.

The second burglary, at a home on Meadow Ave. in West Mahwah – not far from the NY border – happened between 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. this Wednesday, May 30, Batelli said. The homeowner reported her front door had been broken into, both floors of the home had been ransacked, and cash and jewelry had been stolen, police said. She was not home at the time of the break-in.

The third burglary, in a home on Mahwah Road in the Cragmere section of town, happened between 6 a.m. and 12:30 a.m. May 31, Batelli said. Burglars entered through the side door, and took cash, jewelry and a small safe from the master bedroom, police said. No one was home at the time.

Batelli said because all three burglaries were committed during daylight hours, they are likely not related to the “ during the hours of dusk and were likely attributed to individuals who followed the pattern of the so called James Bond Gang. It is not believed these burglaries were committed by that same group.”

Batelli said police are following up on leads, interviewing area neighbors, and investigating all three burglaries. Police say the three may or may not be related to one another, but they are not ruling out either possibility. “These were not what we would term sophisticated burglaries,” he said. But, “that being said we do not consider these incidents any less serious or the suspects any less dangerous.”

Batelli released the following warning to residents:

It is not uncommon for these burglars to approach a house and knock on the front door in an effort to determine if anyone is home. If someone answers the door they may simply state they are lost and ask for a nearby address or say they are looking for a fictitious party. If this occurs police encourage residents to simply tell them they must have the wrong address and shut the door but at the same time try to remember a description and observe any type of vehicle they get in to leave the area. Under no circumstances should they let them in their residence and they should immediately notify the police. Police encourage residents to notify police of any suspicious activity in their neighborhood and to keep an extra watch on neighbor’s house if they know they are not home.

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