Crime & Safety

Close Call! Would-Be Burglar Leaves Cell Phone at Scene

Police say a Cedar Grove man was charged with attempted burglary after his phone was found in back yard.

The following arrest information was provided by the Cedar Grove Police Department and does not indicate a conviction. 

Cedar Grove Police arrested a township man after they say he dropped his phone in the yard of a Lafayette Drive home during an attempted burglary Wednesday.

The burglary was apparently averted when police responded to a report of a rear window broken using a large paver and began to search the area for suspects.

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Police say Anthony F. Tomaselli, 30, was stopped for questioning in a nearby parking lot of a senior citizen complex because he matched the description of a suspicious person seen in the area before the burglary attempt. 

While being questioned, police said Tomaselli tried to conceal an 8-inch kitchen knife and was arrested for possession of a weapon for unlawful use.

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After his cell phone was allegedly discovered in the back yard of the Lafayette Drive home, police tacked on two more charges, attempted burglary and criminal mischief.  

Tomaselli was processed at police headquarters and taken to the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark in lieu of a $35,000 bail. 


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