Crime & Safety

Cedar Grove Police Busy During Thanksgiving Weekend

Police arrest 49-year old Rutherford man, fire department extinguishes gas main fire during Thanksgiving weekend.

Cedar Grove’s police and fire departments were busy during the holiday weekend with a shoplifting arrest early Monday, Nov. 26 and a transformer fire Friday, Nov. 23, officials said.

Police arrested a 49-year-old Rutherford man after he fled from the CVS Pharmacy located at 387 Pompton Ave. in Cedar Grove after he allegedly ran out of the store with $166.85 worth of cigarettes and candy without paying for it.

Jonathan W. Mann was arrested a short time later on shoplifting, possession of a controlled-dangerous substance and possession of drug paraphernalia charges, police said.

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When Mann’s car was stopped by police on Pompton Avenue, police said they also found cocaine and two glass pipes in the car.

He was taken to police headquarters and processed before being released pending a Superior Court arraignment in Newark on Dec. 5.

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In the fire department incident, officials were called to a utility pole fire just before 9 p.m. at the intersection of Stevens and Marley avenues that was ignited by a natural gas line.

Cedar Grove Police Chief Richard Vanderstreet said as a result of a transformer fire at the pole, a power line dropped and ignited the gas line.

There were no injuries from the incident, but “Public Service Gas Electric had to shut down four or five residents and businesses in the area,” said Vanderstreet. “They had to come in and dig new lines.”

Several area residents also needed to be evacuated, Vanderstreet said.

The repair was completed by 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24.


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