Police Blotter - Apr. 2nd-9th: Did You Know You Can Register Your Bike?; MOP SWEATS Graffiti

Monthly RPD Reports can be found here.

This is Rutherford publishes incidents that the public may find interesting or informative. The Blotter represents a small fraction of the total calls the RDP responds to regularly. The following information was provided to TIR by the Rutherford Police. All suspects are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Incidents involving juveniles will not be published.

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Monday, April 8th - Criminal Mischief, Rutherford Ave.

Lyndhurst PD was notified of someone described as a young white male in a blue t-shirt and khaki pants spray painting on barrier walls by Rt 3. Lyndhurst PD notified RPD who observed fresh white graffiti about 15 ft. from Riverside Ave that read “MOP” and a second graffiti that read “SWEATS”. RPD called the initial reporter who saw the man walking south on Kearny Ave and was sweating profusely. NJDOT was notified.

Saturday, April 6th - DWI, Carmita Ave.

A 58 year old male resident driving a silver, 2015, 4-door Mazda was observed by an off-duty officer to be partially in the roadway. The driver was in the vehicle resting while pulled over on the curb. The driver was arrested and the vehicle was impounded. The driver blew a .20 breathalyzer and was issued summonses. He was released to a responsible party under John’s Law.

Saturday, April 6th - Criminal Mischief, Park Ave.

A gray, 2015, 4-door Lexus was damaged while parked in front of the 350-425 block of Park Ave. from 10:00 pm on April 5th to 7:00 am on April 6th. A dent was made on the driver’s side door. This has happened numerous times when parked in the same area.

Saturday, April 6th - Theft by Deception, Carneer Ave.

A 60 year old Fair Lawn woman came to Rutherford to report that she had loaned $20,000 to her 45 year old female friend from Rutherford whom she met at church. The Fair Lawn woman had given cash transactions to the woman while in Rutherford. The Rutherford resident had informed the Fair Lawn woman that her husband had recently passed away and needed money for bills. The resident told the Fair Lawn woman that she would be able to pay her back because she was sole heir to her husband’s estate which was estimated at millions of dollars. After not being able to make contact with the woman she loaned the money to, the Fair Lawn woman felt she had been defrauded and believed the woman lied about inheritance and then stopped speaking to her in February. She hired a private detective who stated the inheritance story was false.

Friday, April 5th - Criminal Mischief, Walls Field

A park ranger at Wall Field reported an unknown party damaged a partition in the men’s bathroom.

Friday, April 5th - Burglary, Wingra Ave.

A Wingra Ave. caller exited his house and noticed the driver side door of his silver 2018 Chevy SUV ajar. Upon getting closer to his vehicle, he noticed his registration and insurance spread on the seat of the car. He admitted to at times leaving the door unlocked. He didn’t call RPD until arriving at work and was informed that by driving the vehicle he ruined any evidentiary value. RPD investigated the area but no other cars were reported targeted.

Thursday, April 4th - Property Found, Tryon Field

At approximately 6:42 am a Rutherford resident located an abandoned men's bicycle inside Tryon Field by the flag pole. Officers responded and took possession. It is currently stored in the basement of RPD headquarters. The bicycle has a very specific moving van lines company sticker on it. It's being held at headquarters and RPD is hoping the owner can be identified after being able to specifically describe the bicycle and identifying decal. Call 201-939-6000 extension 1 if you believe the bicycle is yours.

Thursday, April 4th - Suspicious Vehicle, Riverside Ave.

At approximately 7:55 am a homeowner stated he started his 2018 Lexus GX4 to warm up in his driveway using his remote key fob. He allowed it run for approximately 10 minutes. When he went outside to throw some garbage out, he observed a red Chevy Silverado parked and running in his driveway with at least 3 occupants in it. The resident reports that once they saw him, they reversed out of his driveway and continued north on Riverside Ave and East onto West Newell. The driver was a white male. The homeowner’s vehicle had been locked and there were no signs of an attempt to make entry. The caller reported this after seeing a Facebook post about a vehicle stolen from Rutherford earlier. They believe the incident at their residence was an attempt to steal their car.

Wednesday, April 3rd - Criminal Mischief, Park Ave.

A business owner reported that a hired plumber damaged their property after a dispute. The business contacted a local plumber in Rutherford to repair bathroom pipes. When the plumber was done, he requested additional money than what was originally agreed upon. The owner refused to pay and while the plumber was walking out of the business, the business owner stated he broke the sign on the sidewalk and the “static window sign” totalling an approximate value of $650. RPD contacted the plumber who admitted to damaging the static window sign but not the sidewalk sign. He said he became angry because the business refused to pay both an outstanding balance and the fee for the required plumbing permit. The business owner did not sign a complaint stating he just wanted to document it.

Wednesday, April 3rd - Suspicious Person, Arthur Drive

A 70 year old male called to report a party ringing his doorbell 3 times over the course of the day. He did not answer the door at all. The party is described as a white male in his 70’s wearing a brown jacket.

Wednesday, April 3rd - Theft, Union Ave.

A resident reported a family bicycle was stolen from outside their apartment building by an unknown person. The bicycle was stored in the rear of the apartment complex and it’s believed the bicycle was stolen on March 28th between 6:00 - 8:00 pm. The bicycle was not locked. It is blue in color with white lightning decals, with an approximate value of $100. At the time of the report, the resident could not find a photo or registration number. RPD advises bicycle owners to register their bike with the Rutherford Police Dept and/or at the Project 529 Garage which acts as “community watch for your bike”. It is a nationwide database for bicycles.

Wednesday, April 3rd - CDS Possession, Union Ave.

A mother called RDP concerned for the welfare of her 29 year old son. Upon RPD’s arrival, the man he stated he had taken one packet of heroin. He then gave 2 wax folds of heroin to the officers and 4 more wax folds of heroin were found on the premises and removed by RPD . The man was advised of Bergen County’s Hart Program which offers the ability to turn in drug paraphernalia and seek help for treatment options without fear of arrest.

Tuesday, April 2nd - Fraud, Mortimer Ave.

An 88 year old female resident reported she may have been the victim of a phone scam. She received a call earlier in the day from a man named “Albert,” calling from 973-780-7317. Albert claimed he borrowed money from the woman and wished to pay her back. He stated he needed her bank information so he could wire money to her. She remained on the phone for several hours while he gave her directions to obtain her information. She became confused and gave him the last 4 digits of her social security number but she feels he did not get access to her banking info. RPD contacted her son to advise him of the situation.

Tuesday, April 2nd - Suspicious Incident, Park Ave.

An anonymous caller reported that a Playa Bowl employee witnessed a man trying to get into a vehicle using a metal object. RPD responded and determined that he was authorized to enter the vehicle, but commends the caller for reporting immediately.