On 5/25/22 at approximately 1058 hrs. we received at 911 call reporting a possible robbery in the area of Springfield Avenue near the intersection of Princeton Street. Upon arrival officers spoke with victim, a 70-year-old female, who advised that her purse was snatched as she was waiting on the southside of Springfield Avenue at the bus stop.
The suspect is described as a heavy-set black male wearing black pants, and short hair (NFD). The suspect exited a 4-door dark colored vehicle, which was parked nearby, he pushed the victim to the ground and took her purse. The suspect ran back towards the vehicle and drove away east bound on Springfield Avenue.
The proceeds of the purse and its contents included $88.00 dollars in cash. The victim did not sustain any injuries, and she refused any medical attention. She was safely escorted back to her residence, in Irvington, by Maplewood patrol officers. A nearby witness believed the vehicle to be a dark grey Honda Civic. Detectives are canvassing the area and the investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information please contact the Maplewood Police Department, at 973 762-3400.
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May 18, 2022, Motor Vehicle Theft; At approximately 8 pm, a vehicle left running and unsecured at the Wawa was stolen.
May 17, 2022, Trespassing; Officials at Columbia High School reported a past tense trespassing incident where a previously expelled student was observed at the school.
May 17, 2022, Trespassing; At approximately 8:20 pm a resident of Hillcrest Rd observed a female in their yard that they believed was trying to take an unsecured bicycle. They confronted the female and the female left the property prior to police arrival.
May 17, 2022, Package Theft; Between 2 and 8 pm a package was stolen from the front of a Schaefer Rd residence.
May 16, 2022, Vehicle Rummage; A resident of Oakland Rd reported that at approximately 1230 pm an individual went through their unsecured vehicle, but nothing was taken.
May 16, 2022, Burglary; At approximately 3:15 am officers responded to a home on Plymouth Ave on a reported burglary. The resident was awoken by their dog and observed items missing as well as muddy foot prints on the first floor of their home. The residence was not secured at the time.
May 15, 2022, Burglary; Between 5/13 and 5/15 entry was forced to the rear door of a home on the 100 block of Parker Ave. Jewelry was reported stolen from the home.
May 14, 2022, Bicycle Theft; A resident of Springfield Ave reported that her son’s bicycle was stolen from outside of her apartment door at approximately 2 pm. The bicycle was left in the hallway of the apartment building.
May 13, 2022, Theft from Vehicle; During the overnight hours an unsecured vehicle in the driveway of a Schaefer Rd home was entered. Proceeds were a pair of glasses and cash.
May 12, 2022, Malicious Damage; At 7:45 pm a resident reported that there was damage to a traffic control box at Oakview Ave and Valley St. Officers responded and documented the damage.
May 12, 2022, Found Property; At approximately 7am, a caller reported observing what appeared to be a handgun in the street at the intersection of Valley St and Lincoln Pl. Officers responded and recovered the firearm which was unloaded and appeared to possibly been thrown from a vehicle.
May 11, 2022, Burglary; At approximately 2:15 am officers responded to the rear of a business on Irvington Ave for a noise complaint. They located a male who appeared to be taking out garbage, but then fled from officers. Damage was observed to the rear door as well as the cash register of the business. The individual has been identified and charges are pending.
May 9, 2022, Robbery; While in the cafeteria of CHS, a female student was approached by a 10th grade male that demanded money from her. While she was seated, the male attempted to reach into her pockets and pull her to the ground at the same time attempting to get money from her. She was not injured and no money was taken. The same 10th grade student also threatened another student and stole a cell phone during the same day. He was later charged and arrested by the Detective Bureau.
May 5, 2022, malicious Damage; Officers responded to the Baker Street Library on a report of a damaged window. Officers checked the building, but no one was located on scene. Damage to the window was documented.
May 5, 2022, Theft; At approximately 9:45 am, a business on the 1900 block of Springfield Ave reported someone had just stolen their outgoing mail. Officers responded, but were unable to locate the suspect.
On 04/29/22, at approximately 3:30 AM, an armed robbery was committed at the QuickChek on Springfield Ave. Two males wearing hooded sweatshirts and masks entered the store. One of the males then displayed a handgun and demanded that the clerk empty the cash register. After the males were given the cash, they fled the store and entered a dark colored SUV which fled South on Boyden Ave. No one was injured during the incident. The robbery is currently under investigation by the Maplewood Police Detective Bureau.
April 13, 2022, Theft from Vehicle; During the daytime hours an unsecured construction vehicle parked on Oakview Ave was entered and items were taken.
April 13, 2022, Trespassing; At approximately 9:45 pm a male was observed entering a vehicle on Rutgers St. Responding officers located the juvenile male in took him into custody.
April 12, 2022, Trespassing; At 7:15 pm a male, Eddie Poole of Irvington, known to officers was observed inside the Wawa store where he was previously given notice he was not allowed. He was charged for Defiant Trespass on a summons.
April 11, 2022, Motor Vehicle Theft; During the overnight hours an unsecured vehicle parked on Woodland Rd with the keys in it was stolen.
April 11, 2022, Robbery; Just after midnight, a male requested a carton of cigarettes in Quick Chek. When payment was requested, he claimed to have a gun and threatened the clerk before leaving the store with the cigarettes.
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On 4/11/2022 at 0010 hours, dispatch received an emergency 9-1-1 call from Quick Check (1545 Springfield Ave) reporting they had just been robbed.
Patrols responded on scene and made contact with the victim/employee who reported an unknown male entered the store and appeared to wait until all other customers made their purchases and exited. The suspect then approached the counter and asked for a carton of Newport cigarettes. The victim reported he placed 10 packages of cigarettes on the counter and asked the suspect if he would be paying with cash or credit. The suspect then signaled toward his sweatshirt and replied “I have a gun. Give me the cigarettes.” The victim then placed the cigarettes, valued at approximately $100.00, in a brown paper bag and handed them to the male. While exiting the store with the proceeds, the suspect stated “If you call the cops, I’ll come back and shoot you.”
The victim described the suspect as a male approximately 40 years of age, 5’5” in height, with a scruff of facial hair, wearing black pants and a black hooded sweatshirt, a light colored face mask with the hood over his head.
The victim was unable to provide any further direction of flight and reported he did not have access to the store’s surveillance cameras. An in-house review of Maplewood PD’s surveillance cameras, shows a suspect matching the provided description exiting the store running eastbound on Springfield Ave at 0003 hours and then continuing southbound through the rear parking lot of 1521 Springfield Ave. (Bank of America) toward Jacoby St. Officers conducted a canvass of the area with negative results for anyone matching the description. It is unknown at this time if a vehicle was involved in the incident.
MFD was dispatched to the scene to evaluate the victim due to being visibly distraught over the incident. The victim later refused further medical attention.
Detectives are actively investigating the incident.
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April 10, 2022, Malicious Damage; At approximately 5 pm a home on Ball Terr had it’s window smashed with a rock.
April 7, 2022, Theft from Auto; During the overnight hours a vehicle parked in the Burger King lot was entered and a briefcase and fanny pack were stolen
April 6, 2022; Theft of Auto Parts; During the overnight hours the Catalytic converter was removed from a vehicle parked in a parking lot on Rutgers St.
April 3, 2022; Motor Vehicle Theft; At approximately 12:30 am a vehicle left running at Wawa was stolen.
April 2, 2022; Motor Vehicle Theft; During the overnight hour a vehicle parked on Oakview Ave was stolen. The owner was still in possession of the keys.
The Maplewood Police Department works hard to protect the residents and their property. We are asking that you assist us in this effort by making sure all vehicles and homes are properly secured at all times. All charges are merely accusations. Each suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Thank You
March 30, 2022; Theft of Auto Parts; During the overnight hours the Catalytic converter was removed from a vehicle parked in the driveway of a Prospect St home.
March 30, 2022; Motor Vehicle Theft; Between 11am and 1 pm, a vehicle parked on Coolidge Rd was stolen. The vehicle is believed to have had a key fob in it and was left unsecured.
March 30, 2022; Package Theft; Between 3:30 and 4 pm two packages were stolen from in front of a Plymouth Ave.
March 30, 2022; Motor vehicle Theft; During the overnight hours a vehicle was stolen from the driveway of Yale St residence.
March 28, 2022; Thefts from Commercial Vehicle; Between 2:30 and 3:30 pm a Landscaping vehicle parked unsecured on Oakland Rd and a construction vehicle parked on Fernwood Rd were entered and wallets, a phone, tools and two backpacks were stolen.
March 26, 2022; Theft from Vehicle; Between 3 and 11 am a vehicle parked unsecured on Colonial Terr was entered and cash was removed.
March 25, 2022; Theft from Auto; During the overnight hours an unsecured vehicle was entered on Collinwood Rd and a laptop was stolen.
March 25, 2022; Burglary; During the daytime hours a home on Mountain Ave sustained damage to it’s rear door. At the time of the report, nothing was observed to be missing.
March 24, 2022; Burglary; During the daytime hours an apartment on Essex Ave was forcibly entered. Cash and documents were reportedly stolen.
March 23, 2022; Motor Vehicle Theft; At approximately 5 pm a vehicle left running on Springfield Ave near Prospect St was stolen while the driver entered a restaurant to pickup an order.
March 22, 2022; Graffiti; During an inspection of the Skate House in Memorial park, Graffiti was discovered by an officer.
March 17, 2022, Motor Vehicle Theft; A vehicle left running at the Quick Chek was stolen at approximately 2:35 am.
March 16, 2022, Theft from Auto; During the previous few day, an unsecured vehicle parked on Sommer Ave was entered and a set of keys were stolen.
March 16, 2022, Robbery; At approximately 0100 am, a male walking on Boyden Ave in the area of Brown St when he was assaulted by two males that demanded his belongings. He was able to get away from the males and later called police, but was injured in the altercation.
March 16th, 2022; At approximately 1am on this date, an 18 year old resident was the victim of a strong-armed robbery (no weapons involved) in the area of 331 Boyden Ave.
The victim, who resides in the area reports he went out for a jog. While jogging on Boyden Ave, the victim observed 2 individuals ahead walking towards him. As he approached them, he attempted to go around them. One of them jumped towards him and punched him in the face causing him to fall. At that time the suspects assaulted the victim while making demands for his belongings. The victim was able to get up and run away from them. The suspects did not get any of the victims belongings. The victim did not see which way the suspects fled. The victim was transported to the hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries, however the injuries sustained were serious enough for the victim to be admitted for further treatment.
The suspects are described as follows: 2 black males dressed in dark clothing, both appeared to be in their early 20’s, one was tall and thin wearing a mask. The other was described as 5’8, stocky with a beard and not wearing a mask.
Detectives have obtained a statement from the victim and are investigating the incident. Detectives have not determined if a vehicle is involved at this point. Detectives will be canvassing the area for witnesses and video. What we have learned so far is that these suspects were surveilling the area on foot for a while prior to this incident. The public is encouraged to call the police when they observe suspicious activity. Any person who wishes to provide information can call DLt. Palmerezzi at 973-761-7913 or email MPALMEREZZI@TWP.MAPLEWOOD.NJ.US
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March 15, 2022, Motor Vehicle Theft; At approximately 6 pm, a vehicle left running at Wawa was stolen.
March 13, 2022, Package Theft; At approximately 1:30 pm a package was stolen from the front of a residence on Newark Way.
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On March 12, 2022; at approximately 3:45pm, Dispatch received multiple calls of gunshots in the area of 88 Tiffany Pl. As a result, Officers responded to the area and located a female standing near a Honda Accord which had heavy front end damage. It was obviously involved in an accident with another vehicle and no longer operational.
During the check of the area, officers located a shell casing on Tiffany Pl and immediately shut down the roadway while they continued to search the area. A thorough search of the area produced four suspicious males standing on the corner of Elmwood Avenue & Elmwood Ter. At that point, officers converged on the area and detained the males. Officers immediately began speaking with the males, at which point one of the males, advised officers that the other three males stopped were in the rear of his residence and upon them noticing him, they fled towards Elmwood Terr. He further advised officers that he followed them to determine what was happening.
The officers noticed that three males were injured and determined it was from gunshots wounds. Immediately thereafter, emergency medical services responded to the scene and transported the males to Rutgers University hospital along with MPD Officers. The injuries were determined to be non-life threatening.
The MPD Detective Bureau was notified and responded to the scene to begin the investigation into this incident. During the investigation, it was revealed that these three males were seen fleeing from Honda Accord after the shooting. Officers were able to confirm that the Honda Accord was traveling east on Tiffany pl when it was involved in an accident with a dark colored BMW SUV. They observed a black male exit the passenger seat of the dark colored BMW and begin firing shots into the Honda. It must be noted that officers attempted to ascertain further, but the shooting victims did not wish to discuss this incident with officers. However, one of the males agreed to speak with officers, but only provided limited information. It should also be noted that the driver of the Honda stated that there was a fifth person inside of the car at the time of the shooting, but did not know the female’s name nor where she lived. Officers were unable to locate any additional people involved in this incident during their canvass of the area. Officers were assisted by the Essex County Sheriff Department who responded to the area of 88 Tiffany with a K9 dog trained to search for weapons in the area with negative results.
Detectives processed the crime scene and recovered several 9mm shell casings. No weapon has been recovered at this time. Detectives will continue to investigate the shooting incident even though the victims have failed to provide information related to the investigation. We have determined there in no nexus to Maplewood or the immediate area. The occupants are not from the area and did not know where they were at the time of the accident and subsequent shooting. It is believed that they were being followed for some time prior to the shooting incident. It is unknown if the parties know each other. Detectives will continue canvassing the area for witnesses and video. We ask for cooperation from the public to provide whatever information or assistance they can provide. There is no reason to believe any further danger exists in regard to this incident. There will be an increased Police presence in the area.
Please contact DLt. Palmerezzi at 973-761-7913 or email mpalmerezzi@twp.maplewood.nj.us to provide information or video.
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March 11, 2022, Motor vehicle Theft; At approximately 8 pm, a vehicle left running at Wawa was stolen.
March 11, 2022, Package Theft; At approximately 2 pm a package was stolen from the front of a home on Burroughs Way.
March 10, 2022, Motor Vehicle Theft; Between 10pm and 4 am on 3/11, a vehicle was stolen from the driveway of a home on Mountain View Terr.
March 6, 2022, Armed Robbery; At approximately midnight a female reported being the victim of a robbery in the area Chancellor Ave. She reported that a dark vehicle pulled up and a male exited and demanded her belongings at gun point. The male took her belongings and fled in the vehicle. The female was not injured. The Maplewood Police Department works hard to protect the residents and their property. We are asking that you assist us in this effort by making sure all vehicles and homes are properly secured at all times. All charges are merely accusations. Each suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Saturday March 5th, 2022 at approximately 1145 pm, Central dispatch was contacted by Irvington Police reporting they had several units out at 1016 Chancellor Ave investigating a robbery that occurred in Maplewood. Patrols responded to the scene and determined an armed robbery occurred in our jurisdiction in front of 1013 Chancellor Ave. The female victim, (30 YOA/Orange resident) reports she was walking to her parked vehicle in front of 1013 Chancellor Ave after leaving the 43rd St Café in Irvington at approximately 1145pm. When the victim was about 15 feet from her vehicle, an unknown actor (black/male/25-30 yoa 5’6/ not wearing a mask) called out to her from behind and said “don’t walk no further and give me everything you got”. At this time, Williams turned around and observed the aforementioned actor brandishing a black handgun. The victim then handed over her I-Phone 12 and wallet containing cash, personal identification, credit cards, other personal items. The actor then entered a waiting black suv on the passenger side which then fled north and then west onto 44th St. The vehicle was occupied 2 or more times with a male and female (positioning unknown). The victim did not sustain any injuries. MPD Dispatcher’s then broadcasted a SPEN alert to all surrounding towns with the limited info. The victim was transported to Police Hqts to provide Detectives a statement. It should be noted the suspect vehicle involved in our incident matches the description to several other robberies that occurred in the county during this time frame.
MPD Detectives are currently working with Newark Police Detectives to develop leads in this incident. There is no further information known at this time about the suspects involved or the vehicle. This is an active investigation. It is too soon to link this incident with the 3 MPD robbery incidents that has occurred on 1/22/22. There have been no charges issued or arrests made in these incidents at this time. Any person with information related to these incidents can call DLt. Palmerezzi at 973-761-7913 or MPALMEREZZI@TWP.MAPLEWOOD.NJ.US.
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March 3, 2022, Motor Vehicle Theft; At approximately 7 pm a vehicle left running with the keys in it was stolen from a business on Rutgers St.
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March 3, 2022, Motor Vehicle Theft; At approximately 1 pm a vehicle left running parked on Jacoby St was stolen.
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March 2, 2022, Motor Vehicle Theft, A vehicle parked with the keys in in on Claremont Ave was stolen at approximately 3:45 am.
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March 2, 2022, Motor Vehicle Theft; An unsecured vehicle with the keys in it was stolen from Wyoming Ave sometime during the overnight hours.
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March 2, 2022, Motor Vehicle Theft, A vehicle left running without the key at Wawa was stolen at approximately 1210 am.
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March 1, 2022, Stolen Motor Vehicle; Between 2 and 3 am a vehicle was stolen from Franklin Ave. It was believed to have the keys in it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ March 1, 2022, Receiving Stolen Property; At approximately 3:45 am Officer located a male, Rakim Phelps in possession of a stolen van at the Wawa. The 31 year old Newark resident was placed under arrest and charged with receiving stolen property and Obstruction.
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March 1, 2022, Receiving Stolen Property; At approximately 11 am a witness observed the vehicle stolen from Franklin Ave earlier in the day driving on Springfield Ave. A male later identified as Chigemezu Nwigwe of Newark was observed parking the vehicle and entering a restaurant. Officers’ were able to locate him and take him into custody. He was charged with receiving stolen property.
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There was also 3 shoplifting incident during this time frame.
The Maplewood Police Department works hard to protect the residents and their property. We are asking that you assist us in this effort by making sure all vehicles and homes are properly secured at all times. All charges are merely accusations. Each suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Thank You
February 28, 2022, , Mal Damage; During the overnight hours several vehicles parked at a business on Rutgers St sustained damage to their windshields.
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February 25, 2022, Theft from Vehicle; During the overnight hours an unsecured vehicle parked on Harvard Ave was entered and a small amount of money was stolen.
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February 25, 2022, Package Theft; At approximately 7 am a male in a traffic vest removed a package from the front of a residence on Orchard Rd.
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February 24, 2022, Motor Vehicle Theft; At approximately 11 am a vehicle left running on Lexington Ave was stolen.
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February 23, 2022, Motor Vehicle Theft, At approximately 7:30 am, a vehicle left running at 7-11 on Springfield Ave was stolen.
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February 23, 2022, Theft from Auto, During the overnight hours a vehicle on Oakview Ave was entered and a small amount of cash was stolen.
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February 22, 2022, Graffiti, A traffic light box at the intersection of Valley St and S. Pierson Rd was vandalized with paint. February 22, 2022, Mal Damage, During the weekend several vehicles parked at a business on Rutgers St sustained damage to their windshields.
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February 22, 2022, Motor Vehicle Theft, At approximately 9 pm, a vehicle left running and unsecured at Quick Chek was stolen.
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February 21, 2022, Motor Vehicle Theft, At 6:40 pm a vehicle left running at 7-11 on Springfield Ave was stolen.
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February 20, 2022, Motor Vehicle Theft, At approximately 7 am a vehicle left running and unsecured at Quick Chek was stolen.
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On Feb 16, 2022, at approximately 9:55 am, a good Samaritan called Maplewood Police Headquarters reporting that there was a male possibly shot and was currently outside near the intersection of Hughes St and Jacoby St. Upon officers’ arrival, Patrols located the victim in that area. He was found to have a laceration, but did not have a gunshot injury or any other life-threatening injuries. The on-scene investigation revealed that the victim was involved in an altercation with another male inside of an apartment at 159 Jacoby Street. During the altercation a .380 caliber handgun was fired in the apartment, however no one was struck. The handgun has not been recovered at this time. The incident was determined to be domestic in nature. The involved parties are known to each other and no other persons or the public were at risk. Maplewood Police Detectives responded to investigate and process the crime scene. As a result of the investigation, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Cranford Butler (67yoa) of Irvington, NJ. Maplewood Police Officers are working collaboratively with the Essex County Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team and the Irvington Police who have executed an Arrest Warrant at Butlers home. Detectives are working relentlessly to find and arrest Mr. Butler.
UPDATE: On 2/24/2022 Mr. Butler responded to Maplewood PD to turn himself in. Mr. Butler has been processed and transported to Essex County Correctional Facility. (See below comments for initial statement.)
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February 5, 2022; Burglary; Between 2 and 8 pm a home on Berkley St was entered and money was stolen from a drawer.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- February 3, 2022; Motor Vehicle Theft; At 5:15 am a vehicle warming up in the driveway of a Collinwood Rd home was stolen.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- February 3, 2022; Vehicle Rummage; At 6:45 a male was observed inside an unsecured vehicle on Winthrop Pl.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- February 2, 2022; Motor vehicle Theft; At approx.. 9:15 pm a vehicle left running on Franklin Ave was entered and stolen.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- February 1, 2022; Attempted MV Theft; At approximately 2:30 pm an individual was driving out of Walgreens Parking lot when two juveniles began yelling to her that her tire was flat. When she exited the vehicle to check on the tire, one of the juveniles entered her vehicle and attempted to steal it. He was unsuccessful, located and taken into custody after fleeing on foot.
The Maplewood Police Department works hard to protect the residents and their property. We are asking that you assist us in this effort by making sure all vehicles and homes are properly secured at all times. All charges are merely accusations. Each suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Thank You
January 22,2022; The Maplewood Police Department is investigating 3 armed robberies that occurred this day. All three victims were women who were walking alone at the time. In all three incidents the suspect was wearing a mask covering their face.
The first incident happened at 1010 am in the area of 124 Jacoby Street. The 64 year old female victim and township resident was walking alone when a masked individual approached from behind, brandishing a handgun. The victim was knocked to the ground and assaulted by striking her in the face. The suspect stole her purse then jumped into a dark colored vehicle that was waiting nearby. The victim was transported to University Hospital for treatment.
The second incident occurred at approximately 1100 am this morning, in the area of 95 Franklin Terrace. The 44 year old female victim and Irvington resident was walking alone when approached by a dark colored vehicle. A masked individual exited the passenger side, brandishing a handgun and demanded her purse. After a brief struggle for the purse, the suspect got control of the purse, entered the vehicle and fled the area. The victim of this incident did not request medical attention at the time of the incident.
The third incident occurred at approximately 1pm this afternoon in the area of 616 Irvington Ave. The 37 year old female victim, and Newark resident, was walking alone when approached by a dark colored vehicle. A masked individual exited the passenger side, brandishing a handgun and demanded her purse. The victim relinquished her purse without resistance and she was unharmed. The suspect got back into the vehicle and fled the area.
In all incidents, the suspect vehicle flees to the borders and returns back to the area.
The Department has additional resources assigned to assist with the investigation and to provide additional Police presence in the area. Detectives have identified the suspect vehicle involved in these incidents from township license plate readers. The vehicle, a dark grey Infinity was stolen out of Newark City early this morning running with the key in it. Detectives are working in collaboration with neighboring Police agencies to locate the vehicle. All indications are that this vehicle and suspects are involved with all three of the incidents that occurred.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------January 31, 2022; Motor Vehicle Theft; At approx. 4 pm a vehicle left running at Wawa was stolen.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- January 28, 2022; Vehicle Rummage; At 11:30 pm an individual was observed going through an unsecured vehicle on Mountain Ave.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- January 26, 2022; Vehicle Rummage, During overnight hours an unsecured vehicle parked in a commercial parking lot on W Parker was rummaged through. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 23, 2022; Motor Vehicle Theft; A vehicle left running at 12:45am on Brown St was stolen.
The Maplewood Police Department works hard to protect the residents and their property. We are asking that you assist us in this effort by making sure all vehicles and homes are properly secured at all times. All charges are merely accusations. Each suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Thank You
June 3rd, 2020
To Our Maplewood Community,
As Chief of the Maplewood Police, I would like to address the horrific murder of George Floyd at the hand of Police Officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Firstly, I would like to offer my deepest condolences to the entire Floyd family for their tragic loss. I am personally outraged at this senseless loss of life. This man died as result of an accusation that he passed a counterfeit $20.00 bill. I am having trouble grasping the reality of this situation. If $20.00 is the value of a human life, then nobody is safe. George Floyd was treated without regard for humanity. There are no excuses for what happened to Mr. Floyd. He was handcuffed, held down by multiple officers, one of which had their knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck and made him suffer as he gasped for air and pleaded for help. These officers must be held responsible for their actions including those who just stood by and did not help Mr. Floyd.
In full transparency, I must acknowledge this Police Department has dealt with complaints of excessive force and misconduct in the past. I recognized that this history would change the relationship between Police and the community for many years to come. As the new Police Chief, I assembled a team of qualified diverse officers to help change the culture in the Police Department. There was no room for excuses or denial. We have learned a great many things along the way and that the officers would not accept change easily. Rebuilding trust and relationships in the community could not be set on a timetable and would have to be earned.
The Department established goals and objectives as part of this change in culture.
Why do these types of tragedies continue to happen?
Simply, it is a lack of vision, accountability and follow up. Change in department policy must be real and not just politics. And it must be accompanied with a comprehensive plan.
Law Enforcement Executives can expect that there will be limited or no help from outside agencies.
First there must be acknowledgement that change is necessary.
The department must commit to change as we stand shoulder and shoulder with our community.
The Law Enforcement Executive should prepare a plan to the Appropriate Authority for review.
A plan with goals, objectives, timelines, accountability requirements and ways to measure the effectiveness of not only the plan but its implementation. The plan must be publicly available for the entire community to read. It is crucial for the Law Enforcement Executive and the entire Command Staff to know all aspects of the plan. They will have to deliver a unified message to all personnel on how they can take personal ownership in their part of the plan. The plan must include reporting from the Law Enforcement Executive to be effective. There must be a performance evaluation mechanism for the Law Enforcement Executive as well.
To enact change and provide true justice, employment laws need to be changed or strengthened to make it easier to terminate officers before a tragedy occurs.
The public is outraged and rightfully so because they don’t trust or believe that anything will change.
Take responsibility!
Hold people accountable! Be accountable!
Don’t defend or make excuses for bad officers!
Don’t ignore what is right in front of you!
Don’t let this happen in your community!
Take a stand for what is best for our community!
Respectfully,
Chief DeVaul