Chatham Car Thief, Burglar, Caught: Morris County Prosecutor

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ - An arrest was made Friday in connection with a series of residential burglaries and vehicle thefts in Chatham Township, according to the Morris County Prosecutor's Office.

Elijah Lott, 22, was arrested and charged after an investigation by Chatham Township Detective Muta Blanford with the assistance of the Morris County Auto Theft Task Force, officials said. Lott is alleged to have burglarized three residences in Chatham Township and stole items from them, police said. In addition to the residential burglaries, Lott is accused of burglarizing vehicles at these residences, stealing items from the vehicles, as well as the theft of two of the vehicles themselves, police said.

Some of the residences were occupied by residents at the time of the alleged burglary.

“The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office is committed to investigating and prosecuting burglars and thieves who prey on our residents and violate the sanctity of their homes," Acting Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll said. "Through the coordinated efforts of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Intelligence Unit, and the Morris County Auto Theft Task Force, and the Chatham Township Police Department, we pledge our commitment to assisting all law enforcement agencies within Morris County with the investigative and legal resources available to solve these types of crimes. The involved police departments and their officers are commended for their efforts and intelligence sharing, which led to this arrest and which demonstrates our collective commitment to keeping Morris County safe.”

Lott was charged with the following:

• Six (6) counts of third degree burglary;
• Five (5) counts of third degree theft;
• One (1) count of second degree theft; and
• One (1) count of second degree conspiracy to commit burglary and theft.

Lott is currently lodged in the Bergen County Jail in accordance with the Criminal Justice Reform Act. Under the bail reform act, a motion for pretrial detention has been filed.

Thanks for reading! Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Have a news tip you'd like to share? Or maybe you have a press release you would like to submit or a correction you'd like to request? Send an email to russ.crespolini@patch.com

Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter. You can also have them delivered to your phone screen by downloading, or by visiting the Google Play store.