Newark NJ police are investigating thefts at two city businesses.
Newark police received an early-morning report of a burglary alarm going off at Jersey Fried Chicken at 289 Elizabeth Avenue. When police officers arrived at the scene, they saw broken glass where a vehicle had been driven into the storefront.
A few hours later, Newark police received a report of a break-in at the Checkers restaurant located at 111 Hartford Street in Newark, New Jersey. A witness called police and said that they saw a pickup truck drive into the building. When officers got to the scene of the crime, they discovered broken glass in the storefront.
Police believe that the suspects used the same pickup truck in both incidents. Once inside the buildings, the thieves reportedly gained access to store ATMs and took an undetermined amount of cash.
At the time of the alleged burglaries, both businesses were closed.
According to authorities, the thefts are extremely similar to a couple of break-ins in November. The earlier thefts occurred at an Applebee’s restaurant and a laundromat in Newark, NJ. The culprits in those instances also used a truck to ram through storefront glass and enter the buildings. The suspects allegedly stole the ATM from the Applebee’s located at Springfield Avenue and Bergen Street.
If the suspects in any of these cases are eventually identified and apprehended, they could face significant penalties. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:18-2, burglary is typically considered a third degree criminal offense. Anyone who is convicted of burglary can potentially be sentenced to 3–5 years in New Jersey State Prison.
The Newark Police Department is actively investigating the recent burglaries. Anyone who has information about the suspects or the thefts should call the Newark Crime Stoppers tip line at 877-NWK-TIPS or 877-NWK-GUNS.
For additional information, read the NJ.com article entitled “Thieves Use Truck to Smash Glass at Newark Businesses, Make Off with ATMs.”
