ENGLEWOOD, N.J.—City police recently disclosed details of a July 1 burglary on First Street—describing how a homeowner nearly caught an intruder who leapt out her kitchen window and fled—while announcing a suspect was arrested July 23.
On the day of the burglary, the homeowner told police she interrupted a burglary after arriving home to find a black male, about 5-feet-8-inches tall, standing in her yard, Deputy Chief Gregory Halstead said.
The homeowner told responding officers that she asked the man what he was doing there and he replied saying he lived next door—but she then noticed her window was open, which was not how she left it, Halstead said.
The suspicious homeowner said she then went inside her home and found “a light-skinned black male wearing a T-shirt over his head exiting her son’s bedroom,” Halstead said. “She attempted to grab him; however, [she] could not hold on as he leapt through the kitchen window and fled through back yards. A good Samaritan attempted to grab the suspect as well, but to no avail.”
Englewood police and a Bergen County Sheriff’s Department K-9 unit searched for the suspect, who “appeared to have gotten away clean with several thousand dollars worth of clothing, jewelry and cash,” said Halstead.
Responding to the scene were officers Michael McCue, Ximena Sarria, Dona Nidelko, and Dylan Donegan, Halstead said.
July 23 Arrests
Gianni Brown, 19, was arrested July 23 when Detective Chris Quirk executed both search and arrest warrants at his Mattlage Place home, Halstead said.
“Investigators from Englewood Detective Squad worked closely with our counterparts at the Sheriff’s department and, through good old fashioned investigative work and following investigative leads, developed a viable suspect (Gianni Brown),” Halstead told Northern Valley Press.
Brown was in possession of proceeds from the burglary, and other burglaries, and was taken into custody without incident, Halstead said.
Also at Brown’s Mattlage Place home was Trevaughn Whiteside, 21, who was found to be in possession of marijuana, Alprazolam and Oxycodone pills, which “all appear to have been intended for distribution,” said Halstead.
Whiteside also had a switch blade knife, Halstead said.
Brown was arrested and jailed on the initial charges of burglary (third degree) and theft by unlawful taking (third degree), Halstead said. He was also charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled dangerous substance (third degree), receiving stolen property (third degree) and possession with intent to distribute CDS paraphernalia (fourth degree), Halstead said. Sheriff’s department records show he was released from Bergen County Jail on July 24 after posting bail.
Whiteside was detained at Bergen County Jail, where records show he was still being held at press time, on charges including possession of a weapon while in the course of committing a violation of 2:C:35-5 (manufacturing, distributing or dispensing CDS)—a second degree crime, Halstead said.
Whiteside is also charged with possession of a schedule-four CDS (third degree), possession of schedule-four CDS with intent to distribute (third degree), money laundering (third degree), possession of marijuana and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, Halstead said.