'Cat' Burglar Hits Three Homes Overnight

Wyckoff and Franklin Lakes police are searching for a "cat" burglar who may have victimized three different local families early this morning.

Chief Benjamin Fox said a car was stolen from a Poplar Court home, money was taken from a Clinton Avenue home and a burglar entered a home on Packer Avenue in Franklin Lakes, all overnight. All three homes are in close proximity to each other, and in all three cases the residents were home and asleep.

Fox said officers responded to the Poplar Court home at 5:47 a.m., when the homeowners reported the theft of their 2004 BMW. The residents told police that the car was parked in the driveway overnight, and they may have left the keys in the car.

Police responded to a nearby home on Clinton Avenue later this morning, at 7:30 a.m. That homeowner said a purse located in the house was missing, and money was removed from a wallet in the kitchen, Fox said. Police found the purse in the residents' car, which was parked in the driveway, although money was missing. Authorities believe the burglar entered the home via a window that was left partially open.

The Wyckoff incidents followed a similar occurrence nearby in Franklin Lakes, where a burglar entered a Packer Avenue home in the early morning hours. Detective Anthony Pacelli of the Franklin Lakes Police Department said entry was gained via an unlocked door, and a pocketbook was stolen. The victims also were asleep at the time.

Wyckoff police assisted their Franklin Lakes counterparts, searching the nearby area at approximately 3 a.m. Pacelli said the search did not turn up any evidence. However, he said the authorities are working under the idea that the same person(s) victimized all three families.

Fox said such "cat" burglars "are of extreme concern because of the possibility of face to face confrontations with the residents who may be inside. Consideration should be given to securing ground floor windows every night and making sure doors are locked. Activate alarm systems if one is in the home. Use outside motion detector lights to illuminate your property if someone enters your yard. Report any suspicious vehicles or strange noises that you hear to the police department. Lock vehicles in your driveway and secure the keys."

Wyckoff Sgts. Dale Winters, Daniel Kellogg, Michael Ragucci and Patrolmen Kevin Kasak and Michael DeMaio probed the township incidents, while the Bergen County Sheriff's Criminal Investigation Unit processed the scenes. Pacelli said the Franklin Lakes department did not receive assistance from the county.

Fox and Pacelli said the departments will work together to investigate the burglaries. Anyone who may have been in the area to observe any suspicious activity or a vehicle is urged to call the Wyckoff police at 201-891-2121.