WESTFIELD, NJ — Several home break-ins were reported by residents last week, police said Tuesday, and cars and catalytic converters were once again the targets of theft.
Home Burglaries
A resident on the 500 block of Alden Avenue reported a home burglary on July 30, police said. During the burglary, the resident’s car keys were taken from inside the home, police said. As a result, the resident’s vehicle was later stolen, police said.
On July 31, an attempted home burglary was reported by a resident on the 100 block of Lincoln Road, police said. The resident informed police that two unknown males pulled on the home’s front and side door handles to enter the residence, police said. The men were unsuccessful in entering the home, police said.
Later that day, a separate home burglary occurred on the 1300 block of Overhill Street, police said. The resident said that upon returning home, they discovered a damaged rear window, police said.
“It appears that a suspect(s) pried the window open and entered into the residence through the first-floor window,” police said.
The closets and drawers of multiple rooms on the second floor were also rummaged through, police said. The suspect or suspects were not in the home when the family returned, police said.
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On Aug. 4, as previously reported, two separate home burglaries were reported on the 0-100 block of Tamaques Way, police said.
In the first incident, a resident reported to police that his home was burglarized in the early morning, police said. Several items, which included the resident’s key fob, were stolen from inside the home, police said.
The resident’s parked vehicle was subsequently stolen, police said. Inside the vehicle were the resident’s wallet, ID’s, EZ-Pass and baseball equipment, police said.
After exiting his bedroom, the resident entered his kitchen and discovered that all the kitchen cabinets were rummaged through, police said.
“After further inspection of his home, the victim found the rear door of his residence, which leads into the kitchen, to be standing open,” police said.
Another resident on Tamaques Way reported a home burglary and vehicle theft shortly after, police said. Westfield police responded to the second incident where a resident said an unknown person forcefully entered his home, police said.
“An unknown actor(s) forcefully gained entry to his residence by prying open a dining room window,” police said. “Once inside the residence, actor(s) stole the keys to the resident's vehicles.”
The resident’s parked vehicles, a 2023 Range Rover and a 2021 BMW X7, were then stolen from the driveway, police said. The total value of the stolen vehicles is approximately $252,000, police said.
The burglaries Friday prompted Police Chief Christopher Battiloro to remind residents to protect themselves by securing their homes and vehicles.
“Take all reasonable precautions, such as locking doors to vehicles and homes at all hours of the day, activating burglar alarms — especially during the overnight hours — and keeping properties well-lit during hours of darkness,” police said in a press release.
Stolen Vehicle Recovered & Thefts
On July 30, police recovered a 2015 Hyundai Sonata on the 500 block of Alden Avenue, police said. The vehicle, which was reported stolen out of Newark hours earlier, was found running and unoccupied, police said. It was eventually towed, and the car’s owner was notified, police said.
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On Aug. 1 at 8 a.m., two different residents reported that their vehicle’s catalytic converters were stolen, police said.
According to both residents, the thefts occurred overnight between July 31 and Aug. 1, police said. A resident on the 500 block of Carleton Road and a resident on the 100 block of Cacciola Place told police that their catalytic converters were gone, police said.
Both residents discovered that the converters were missing on the morning of Aug. 1, police said. The value of the two stolen catalytic converters is $1000 and $900, police said.
On Aug. 2, two bicycles were reported stolen by a resident on the 500 block of Cumberland Street, police said. The resident informed police that between Aug. 1 and Aug. 2, the bikes were stolen from his front porch, police said.
The missing bikes are a blue Nishiki bicycle, worth $400, and a blue Schwinn bicycle, worth $50, police said.
On Aug. 2, a motorist reported the theft of her temporary registration tag to Westfield police, police said.
“A motorist was making a delivery on the 900 block of Beverly Drive,” police said. “After being away from her vehicle for a short time, the motorist arrived back at her vehicle and noticed the temporary registration, along with the two screws used to affix it to the vehicle, were taken.”
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