New Jersey Man Caught With Burglary Tools in Orangeburg, Arrested for New Jersey Break-in

Orangetown Police on April 5. Although he was not charged with any break-ins in Orangetown, police said at the time they were looking into possible connections to other area burglaries.

Montgomery was among three Teaneck men were arrested April 14 after burglarizing a Somerset County home, and investigators believe the trio is responsible for a series of break-ins around Bergen County, prosecutors said. Whether or not the men were involved with the in Mahwah is still being investigated, according to Chief James Batelli.

Working off information developed by Teaneck detectives, authorities learned that town residents Diandre Mikell, Jason Mikell and Montgomery were responsible for a burglary spree targeting high end houses around Bergen County, according to a statement released Friday by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.

"At this point we do not have sufficient evidence to definitively link them to our burglaries, but their MO is strikingly similar to what occurred in Mahwah and warrants due diligence on our part," said Mahwah Police Chief James Batelli.

"Information was obtained identifying them as potential suspects in residential burglaries to high end homes and the creation of a task force which resulted in their arrests is an important development in the investigation of the burglaries that occurred in Mahwah," Batelli said.

A task force of investigators from Bergen and Rockland Counties followed the three Thursday as they cased homes to burglarize in Somerset County, the statement said.  While being followed, the men forced open the door of a house in Bridgewater, authorities said.

They ransacked the house, fleeing with a large safe, cash and a pillowcase filled with coins and jewelry, according to the prosecutor’s office.  Local police confirmed the unoccupied home had been burglarized before investigators moved in to arrest the three in a car stop on Route 22 in Green Brook, authorities said.

A search of the car turned up the items taken from Bridgewater and ski masks, gloves, walkie-talkies and burglary tools, according to the prosecutor’s office.  The men had first tried to break-in to a house in Basking Ridge, but fled after being confronted by the homeowner, the prosecutor's office said. 

Diandre Mikell, 24, of Suffern Road, Jason Mikell, 40, of Fairview Avenue and Montgomery, 30, also of Fairview Avenue were all charged with burglary, theft, conspiracy to commit burglary, possession of burglary tools, criminal mischief and resisting arrest in connection with the Bridgewater crime, the prosecutor’s office said.

While the men have not been charged with other crimes, the case bears similarities to burglaries in and around Mahwah.  In both the Bridgewater and Mahwah break-ins, police said the crew dismantled the alarm and cut the phone lines before forcing their way inside.

The three were being held Friday the Somerset County Jail on $75,000.00 bail, with a 10-percent option, the prosecutor’s office said.