Three Homes Burglarized Friday in Berkeley Heights

BE ADVISED THE TOWNSHIP OF BERKELEY HEIGHTS HAD (3) RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES THAT OCCURED ON 01/13/2012 BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 18:00 HOURS AND 21:00 HOURS IN THE MURRAY HILL FARMS SECTION OF TOWN.

ALL 3 BURGLARIES OCCURRED JUST AFTER SUN DOWN WHERE UNKNOWN ACTOR(S) GAINED ENTRY THROUGH REAR SLIDING GLASS DOORS BY BREAKING THE GLASS (NO OBJECTS WERE FOUND NEAR OR THROUGH THE BROKEN GLASS DOOR. ALL BEDROOMS WERE RANSACKED AND JEWELRY WAS TAKEN. LAP TOPS, CAMERAS, AND CASH WERE IN PLAIN VIEW BUT LEFT BEHIND. THIS SUGGESTED THAT THE ACTOR(S) MOVED QUICKLY.

AT ONE OF THE BURGLARY SCENES, THE ACTOR(S) MOVED A LARGE SOFA FROM A SITTING AREA AND PLACED IT AGAINST THE FRONT DOOR. THIS WAS AN OBVIOUS SIGN WHERE THIS MECHANISM WAS PUT IN PLACE TO PREVENT OR SLOW DOWN A HOME OWNER FROM ENTERING THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR TO ALLOW TIME FOR ACTOR(S) TO ESCAPE OUT THE REAR OF THE RESIDENCE.

THERE WERE TWO ADDITIONAL BURGLARIES IN A NEIGHBORING TOWN THAT OCCURRED DURING THE SAME TIME FRAME.

THE SURROUNDING AREAS WERE CANVASSED WITH NO SUBSTANTIAL LEADS TO MOVE ON.

THIS BRINGS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF BURGLARIES TO (5) FIVE FOR 2012 AFTER HAVING (6) SIX IN ALL OF 2011.

I ASK OUR RESIDENTS TO SERVE AS AN ADDITIONAL SET OF EYES/EARS AND TO REPORT ANY UNKNOWN PERSONS, VEHICLES, OR UNUSUAL ACTIVITY IN YOUR AREA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO THE POLICE (908) 464-1111. ALWAYS TRY TO OBTAIN AS MUCH DESCRIPTIVE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PERSON (I.E. GENDER, CLOTHING DESCRIPTION, BUILD, ETC.) OR VEHICLE (I.E. PLATE NUMBER, COLOR, MAKE, MODEL, DESCRIPTION OF OCCUPANTS) AS YOU CAN, WITHOUT ALERTING POSSIBLE SUSPECTS OR JEOPARDIZING YOUR OWN SAFETY.

MY DETECTIVE BUREAU IS UTILIZING ALL OF ITS RESOURCES TO LOCATE ANY LEADS TO IDENTIFY A SUSPECT(S) AND PATROLS ARE ON HIGH ALERT.

PLEASE SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS.

Sincerely,

MICHAEL P. MATHIS

     Chief of Police