On July 21 at 9:50pm, Det. Sgt. Joseph Soto observed a vehicle parked in front of the vacant building in the Greenwood Shopping Center. The subsequent investigation determined that the vehicle was occupied by two juveniles and the odor of marijuana was obvious in the car. The driver, a 17 year old Mahwah boy, was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana, and possession of narcotics paraphernalia for converting an energy drink can into a marijuana smoking pipe. He was released to his father and a complaint was filed with Bergen County Juvenile Court.
On July 22 at 3:35am, Ptl. Kevin Kasak observed an individual walking on Godwin Avenue and he was aware that there was an active restraining order preventing the man from entering a nearby home. While waiting to confirm this information, it was further determined that there was an active warrant from Paterson for his arrest. The officer temporarily lost sight of the individual, and with the assistance of Sgt. Michael Ragucci and Ptl. Ryan Tenney they went to his home and found that he was inside. Justin D. Tamboer, 168 Godwin Avenue was arrested and charged with trespassing and contempt of a domestic violence restraining order. He was committed to the Bergen County jail in default of $1,000 bail.
Poor driving lead to the arrest of a 19 year old Wyckoff man on narcotics charges. At 3:16am on July 25, Ptl. Brian Zivkovich allegedly observed a vehicle make an improper turn from Martom Road onto Wyckoff Avenue, then fail to properly observe the traffic signal at Wyckoff Avenue and Cedar Hill Avenue. Following a traffic stop, the driver opened the center console and Ptl. Zivkovich observed a plastic bag containing marijuana. Andrew R. Ciriello, 749 Janice Court was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana, possession of marijuana in a motor vehicle, improper turning and disregard of a traffic signal. He was released in his own recognizance and is scheduled to appear in municipal court on September 2.
On July 26, two residents of Cresthaven Road reported that their homes had been entered in the middle of the night while they were asleep. One house was entered by slicing a screen on a rear window allowing the open interior window to be raised. The other was entered through an unlocked rear sliding door. The same evening, two homes nearby in Franklin Lakes were also entered in the middle of the night. In the Wyckoff burglaries, computer equipment and a cell phone were stolen. At one of the Wyckoff homes, a car in the driveway was also entered. Wyckoff Police previously reported similar “cat burglaries” on May 17 in this same section of Wyckoff near the Franklin Lakes border. The investigations were conducted by Sgt. Kenneth Brown, Det. Sgt. Joseph Soto, Det. Michael Musto and Ptl. Kevin Pinches. The Wyckoff Police Department is working with the Franklin Lakes Police in this investigation. Wyckoff Police
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Chief Benjamin C. Fox cautions residents to protect themselves and their property. Ground floor windows and doors should be locked. Use motion detectors around your property to illuminate anyone who might walk onto the yard. Lock your cars that are parked in driveways. Thieves find unlocked cars, and besides stealing your property in the car, they can simply enter homes after using the garage door opener in the car. Report suspicious cars or persons to the police department. “These burglaries that have happened over the past few months are terribly upsetting because a “cat” burglar creates the very real possibility of a face to face confrontation with a resident inside of the home. We understand how scary this situation can be for residents”, stated Chief Fox. Chief Fox further assures the community that the Wyckoff Detective Bureau has made this investigation a priority and his department is working with several agencies to solve these crimes. Patrol officers are checking out anything suspicious in the middle of the night. But as always, the police department needs the residents of Wyckoff to be our eyes and ears on every street in town. Never feel shy about contacting police headquarters to report anything that you believe is suspicious. “We would always rather check out something that turns out to be nothing, than not get a call from a resident when perhaps we should have”, stated Chief Fox.
