Unlocked Door Leads to Burglary at Franklin Lakes Home

Two Franklin Lakes homes were targeted by burglars Monday, according to borough police.

One of those homes with an unlocked back door was succesfully burglarized while the other would-be burglar ran off.

An Arapaho Trail resident reported that his home had been broken into between 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. Monday afternoon, Franklin Lakes Police Lt. John Bakelaar said Tuesday.

Bedrooms in the home had been ransacked and a yet-to-be-determined amount of cash and jewelry was taken, cops said. Burglars gained access to the home through an unlocked rear door.

Also on Monday, a resident of Water View Drive, some two miles away from Arapaho Trail, reported seeing a suspicious male attempting to enter her home through the rear door just before 2 p.m.

The resident described the would-be burglar as a black male wearing a baseball cap and beige pants.

“We don’t know exactly why they didn’t continue with the burglary,” said Bakelaar.

He added that police were "looking into a possible connection between the two incidents.”