Acting on a tip from an alert neighbor, Weehawken police apprehended a Union City man whom they said was acting suspicious last Sunday night, only to find that he had a prior record for burglaries throughout Hudson County.
Weehawken police arrested 34-year-old Ronald Rodriguez Sunday after receiving a call about the possibility of Rodriguez engaging in illegal activity on Fulton Street.
After receiving the call from a neighbor who said that Rodriguez was unknown and was acting suspiciously, police found him hiding behind a bush in a neighboring yard, they said. The unoccupied home had suffered pry marks on a screen, they said.
Upon apprehension for criminal trespass, detectives found out that Rodriguez had a list of several arrests throughout Hudson County for burglary, police said.
Rodriguez was placed in a lineup by Weehawken detectives so that a witness from a prior break-in on Highwood Terrace could try to identify him, police said.
“Following the description given to us by the witness, the suspect was placed in the lineup and was picked out of the lineup by the witness,” said Weehawken Deputy Police Chief Robert DelPriore. “He was then charged with burglary for that incident on Highwood Terrace.”
Rodriguez is being held in Hudson County Jail in lieu of $2,000 bail.
DelPriore credited the work of the arresting officer, Sgt. Richard DeCosmis, who was assisted by Capt. Joseph Muti and patrolmen Jon Sabato, Justin Rollings, Angelo Papadapolous and Conrad Hablitz.
In recent weeks, Weehawken has experienced a string of five reported burglaries and break-ins, with the mode of entrance being through an open window or a pried-open or cut screen. It has not been determined if Rodriguez is suspected to be involved in any of the burglaries other than the one he has been charged with on Highwood Terrace.
Alerted neighborhoods
The recent outbreak of thefts in the area has concerned the Weehawken police enough to alert the neighborhoods about the thefts, as well as to offer crime prevention tips to residents to cut down on possible other burglaries.
Weehawken police went through the neighborhoods of town last weekend, distributing a flier that warned residents of the recent string of thefts and offering suggestions what they should do to secure their homes and properties.
“With the unseasonable weather we had recently, it apparently caused the thieves to come out,” Weehawken Public Safety Director Jeff Welz said. “People tend to let their guard down a little and leave windows open when they leave their homes. People tend to feel secure and may forget to close their windows when they leave.”
Added Welz, “No matter what you do, even with the best efforts of the department, you’re bound to get hit with some burglaries when the weather gets nicer. These burglaries happened because the thieves either cut the screen and squeezed in through the open window or they pried open windows that were partially open.”
Welz said that the department employed their anti-crime units and walking patrol last week to inform residents, but also to be on the lookout for other possible burglars.
“We added additional personnel to our daytime patrol,” Welz said. “A good portion of the break-ins happen during the day when people are at work. We also put out the flier to alert residents to be more aware. Our residents have to practice their own crime prevention methods by closing windows and making sure doors are locked. These are basic crime prevention techniques. We can’t let our guard down.”
Welz offered the suggestion to make sure your home doesn’t look like it’s vacant when your away. This means having someone bring in mail and newspapers in case you go away for an extended period.
“Burglars don’t necessarily pick an occupied home to break into,” Welz said. “So if a home looks unoccupied, then it’s only going to encourage the thief.”
Welz said that the Weehawken police has a special crime prevention bureau that is available free of charge to provide proper security surveys to your home and property. There is also literature available how a resident can better secure his or her home and property.
“When something like this happens, we take a pro-active approach,” Welz said. “We want our residents to know what’s going on. But we need their help. And with the help of an alert resident, we were able to make an arrest. Since we made the arrest and put the reminders out, we haven’t had another incident.”
Although this latest string of break-ins caused concern to the department, Welz pointed out that home burglaries are down 56 percent over the last 10 years and are down 29 percent since last year.
“We would like to stop every crime, but that’s not possible,” Welz said. “But we’re working hard to keep the number down.”
Welz said that if any resident sees any suspicious activity, he is encouraged to call the police at (201) 863-7800, or 911 in a case of an emergency, with all information to be kept confidential. The calls have already led to one arrest. They could lead to more.