This is Rutherford publishes incidents that the public may find interesting or informative. The Blotter represents a small fraction of the total calls the RDP responds to regularly. The following information was provided to TIR by the Rutherford Police. All suspects are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Incidents involving juveniles will not be published.
Monday, March 4th - Theft, Lincoln Ave
A 43 year old Lincoln Ave resident received an email at 4:15 pm stating that the softball bat she ordered valued at $319.86 had been delivered. After receiving the email she asked her daughter to check for the package. There was no package but she did notice in front of the house a man described to be in his late 20s with a beard, holding an iPad standing next to a white van. She contacted the seller who will replace the item.
Monday, March 4th - Suspicious Vehicle, Washington Ave
A complainant called about a Suez representative who came to her house about lead pipes and she was concerned they were not legitimately from Suez. She was able to record the rep’s license plate which came back as a registered Suez vehicle. **RPD reminds you to always check for valid ID and call RPD when unsure of a person at your door. Provide a license plate when possible**
Monday, March 4th - Theft, Rutherford Ave
A manager from Carbro Constructors Corp, which is working on the Ridge Road Bridge site, realized gates to an enclosed area were open. Upon further inspection he noticed the chain used to lock the fence had been cut. He noticed one of the shipping containers which holds their equipment was ajar, its was lock missing, and high end items had been taken. He believes that all other equipment on the site is accounted for.
Saturday, March 2nd - Unwanted Phone Calls, Stuyvesant Ave
A 69 year old woman reported she was home alone and received a call and did not answer but was alarmed because it was the middle of the night. It appears it was a scammer who “spoofed” (mimicked) a phone number to make it look like a local Rutherford number. **RPD advises incidents of spoofed numbers have increased at night. Be aware of potential scams.**
Friday, March 1st - Suspicious Vehicle, Wood Street
At approximately 3:30 pm, a caller witnessed a middle aged man, either Hispanic or African American, in a dark green minivan, possibly a Hyundai or Honda, filming juveniles playing in the school yard. He drove east on Washington Ave, passed the school and made a u-turn in order to park his vehicle at Washington and Elm. The caller stated they observed him for 30 seconds at which point they began to walk towards him, scaring him off. As the caller reached for their cell phone the individual fled the area. He was gone upon RPD arrival.
Friday, March 1st - Suspicious Vehicle, Addison Ave
Also at approximately 3:30 pm, a complainant reported gray or silver Toyota sedan driving around the area possibly looking at young school age females. The person was described as 35 - 45 years old with brown hair and a green jacket pacing back and forth in the area of Addison and Wheaton. He appeared to be watching juvenile females walking home from school. The caller had seen the man in the past but does not believe he lives in the area. The caller then approached the man who got into his car and left the area. Caller notified RPD but the person was gone. There were no other calls regarding this person. **RDP advises to immediately call them and to NOT approach a suspicious person yourself**
Thursday, February 28th - Suspicious Vehicle, Park Ave
An off-duty RPD Captain reported a white male in a puffy jacket in a silver SUV with a camera tripod in the area of Station Square. Officers were dispatched and told that he’s a “train enthusiast” who was able to provide ID and deemed harmless.
Thursday, February 28th - Suspicious Person, Park Ave
A 42 year old female resident stated that after getting off a NJ transit bus on Rutherford Ave, an African-American male wearing a gray and white plaid shirt and jeans followed her. When she crossed the street he did the same and yelled at a house under construction. RPD responded and found he had no ID and he told RPD he had been walking for a day and a half. He went to headquarters voluntarily and appeared to be an emotionally disturbed person and only knew that he was from New York. After searching a missing persons’ database, it was found the man had been missing out of Yonkers since the day before. He was transported to the hospital and will be reunited with his caretaker.
Wednesday, February 27th - Suspicious Incident, Park Ave
A Kearny Bank branch manager reported that staff had located a note in the front vestibule near the ATM that had derogatory statement using the “N” word. The note was folded up and not visible to the public. The branch manager advised RPD that he was sending an employee home due to their ethnicity out of an abundance of caution for their safety. This employee knew the content of the note but reported they did not feel personally targeted.
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