Police chief credits the public's vigilance in assisting with the arrests.
NUTLEY -- A Passaic man and a juvenile accomplice from Elmwood Park are believed responsible for several vehicle burglaries carried out over the course of just a few days, Det. Sgt. Anthony Montanari said in a statement Wednesday.
Responding to 911 calls, police went to Vreeland and Hillside avenues around 6:40 a.m. and stopped the pair, 19-year-old Rashawn Vaughan and a 16-year-old. The two were placed under arrest when they were found in possession of items taken from vehicles, Montanari said.
Following an interview and additional investigation, police determined the two carried out a burglary spree over the last few days, including 18 burglaries over the weekend alone. The burglaries also occurred in East Rutherford and Bloomfield, while Vaughan was charged for a burglary last week in North Arlington, Montanari said.
The two have face 38 charges, including burglary and theft, Montanari also said.
Vaughan was being held in the Essex County Jail on $50,000 bail. The youth was being held in the Essex County youth facility.
Chief of Police Thomas Strumulo credited Lt. Gregory Damurjian, Officer Jonathan Lopez, Detective Commander Captain Gerard Green, Detective Sgt. Michael Padilla and Detectives Thomas Perrota and James Baunhuber for their roles in the arrest and investigation, as well as members of the public, who previously had been alerted to the rash of burglaries and called police when they noticed suspicious activity.
Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.