Three Cases Of Suspicious Activity This Week

Montclair police handled three incidents of suspicious activity this past week—on Midland Avenue, as well as on Edgewood and Cambridge roads, Lt. Scott Buehler said.

On Sunday, Dec. 19, at about 1:20 a.m., a resident on Midland Avenue reported spotting someone in her backyard. The woman told police she was on her home's second floor when she noticed the motion detector light on in the rear yard and her dog barking. The woman looked outside and saw a tall man wearing a dark-colored sweatshirt in the yard. She went downstairs to call police but the suspect was gone by the time they arrived. Anyone with further information is asked to contact Sgt. Wil Young at 973-509-4719.

Also on Sunday, at about 3:30 a.m., a man on Edgewood Road reported an attempted home break-in. The man said minutes before calling police, he was in his kitchen and looked out a window facing the back of his house. The man told police he saw a man walking through his backyard. The man fled when the resident yelled out at him. The suspect is described as a man, approximately 5-foot, 6-inches tall, wearing dark-colored clothing and possibly sweatpants. Anyone with further information is asked to contact Sgt. Wil Young at 973-509-4719.

Another reported incident occurred on Thursday, Dec. 16 at about 8:50 p.m. when two juveniles on Cambridge Road reported a possible burglary in progress. They told police they saw a man with a flashlight near one of the house's windows. The juveniles then ran to the basement and waited for the police to arrive. One of the juveniles said she had been in the dining room when she saw a man approach the home's front window and peer inside while holding a flashlight. The juvenile walked towards the window in an attempt to identify the man, but the suspect fled in a dark-colored sedan. The only description of the man is he had a stocky build and was last seen wearing a dark-colored coat and dark wool cap. Anyone with further information is asked to contact Det. Terence Turner at 973-509-4724. 

In other Montclair police news this week:

Arrest:

On Friday, Dec. 17 at about 7 p.m., police responded to the area of Bloomfield and Gates avenues after a three-car collision.  After further investigation of an involved Mazda Protégé, police detected the strong odor of marijuana and noticed cigar wrappings on the car's center console along with a small amount of marijuana wrapped in a paper slip was in the car.

 The driver, William Luthers, 21, of East Orange, was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance. He was also issued a motor vehicle summons for possession of a controlled dangerous substance in a motor vehicle. He was later released.

Vandalism:

Also on Friday, Dec. 17, at about 8 p.m., police responded to a report of vandalism at Valley Road and Gordonhurst Avenue. The caller said he saw three juveniles kicking a fence to a single-family home on Gordonhurst Avenue. The juveniles had fled before police arrived and the caller was unable to say which way the suspects went. The suspects are only described as juveniles wearing dark-colored hooded sweatshirts. Anyone with further information is asked to contact the Juvenile Aid Bureau at 973-509-4733.

Arrest:

On Saturday, Dec. 18, just after midnight, police stopped a Toyota Corolla traveling westbound near the Glen Ridge border after spotting a fraudulent inspection sticker on the front windshield. After speaking to the driver, identified as Robert Lee, 26, of East Orange, police arrested Lee after it was learned he had a warrant from Roseland with bail set at $750, a warrant out of East Orange with bail set at $300, and a warrant out of Newark with bail set at $164. He was also issued motor vehicle summonses for driving while suspended, fraudulent inspection sticker and failure to inspect.

Arrest:

On Saturday, Dec. 18 at approximately midnight, police at a DWI checkpoint on Bloomfield Avenue noticed a Toyota Camry on Maple Avenue backing up and entering the circular driveway of Glenfield School in what may have been an attempt to circumvent the checkpoint.

Police stopped the car on Maple Avenue and spoke to the driver, identified as Dennis Perry. Police noticed Perry had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath and was arrested after he failed to adequately perform field sobriety tests. While police were speaking to Perry, they noticed the passenger, later identified as Sammie Gallmon, had his hands inside his coat. He was asked to remove his hands and admitted to having a pocketknife in his possession. Further investigation revealed Gallmon also had a glassine envelope containing heroin and a cut straw containing a powdery residue. Gallmon, 51, of Montclair, was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was also found to have a warrant out of Newark, with bail set at $125.

Perry, 55, of Montclair, was issued motor vehicle summonses for driving while intoxicated, driving while intoxicated in a school zone, and improper backing. Both Perry and Gallmon were later released.

Theft from a Motor Vehicle:

On Saturday, Dec. 18, at about 4:30 p.m., items were reported stolen from a Nissan Sentra at Unbelieva-Bill's on Bloomfield Avenue.

Police reviewed surveillance footage showing a man entering the car at about 2:45 p.m. The man proceeded to sit in the car for about two minutes and is seen leaving with a backpack.

 The suspect is described as a white man, about 50 to 60 years old, wearing a brown jacket, a white and black striped shirt, a black hat, jeans, and boots.

A black Jansport backpack, valued at $20, and a Garmin GPS, valued at $200, were stolen from the car. Anyone with further information is asked to contact Det. Ray Gulbin at 973-509-4739.