Crime & Safety

UPDATED: Two Alleged Burglars Still At-Large

Two women taken into custody Tuesday afternoon in connection with Kinnelon residential break-in.

Two dark-skinned Hispanic males who allegedly fled the scene of a Kinnelon residential burglary late Tuesday afternoon remain at-large, said Wednesday evening.

"We tracked them for about four hours yesterday," Lt. John Schwartz said. "We got possible sightings in the Terrace Lake section [of Butler] and by the time we got officers there, they were gone."

While two females believed to be involved in the incident were apprehended after a brief foot chase, Schwartz confirmed authorities are still seeking the two men.

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The males are described to be in their teens to mid-20s and are wanted also in connection with the residential burglary on Harrison Road Tuesday. Police said they were able to track the males down Kiel Avenue, toward Kinnelon Road and then across Route 23 at the Cambridge Heights, Terrace Lake housing complex.

"They did have a pretty good start on us because we did have a pursuit with the females then the K-9 unit came," said Schwartz Wednesday.

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According to Schwartz, the owner of the Harrison Road home arrived at the residence around 4 p.m. and noticed a suspicious vehicle, a Nissan Maxima with North Carolina license plates, pulling out of her driveway. As the homeowner pulled into the driveway, she told police she saw the two males flee from her home, police said. Upon entering the home, the resident told officers that her house was in "disarray," according to a statement released by the police department.

The homeowner notified police and as Ptl. Mark Ehrenburg arrived at the scene, he noticed the Maxima drive by the home again. Police said the homeowner pointed it out to Ehrenburg, who then stopped the vehicle. While he was questioning the two females inside the vehicle, police said the females attempted to flee the scene. Ehrenburg then chased the women and was able to apprehend them in the woods behind the resident's house, police said.

A helicopter that is part of the New Jersey State Police Aviation Unit was seen circling the area just after 5 p.m.

The incident caused the nearby in Kinnelon to be placed in lockdown mode, which was confirmed by teacher's aide Heather Miller.

Miller said the school had been in lockdown since about 4:30 p.m. Police said the lockdown lasted about an hour with an officer standing guard in the parking lot.

Kinnelon police were also joined in the search by the Butler, Bloomingdale, West Milford, Riverdale, Mountain Lakes, Denville, Pequannock, Montville and Boonton Township Police Departments, the Morris County Park Police and the Morris County K-9 Unit.

Schwartz said Wednesady that the police department is following up on information they've received through the investigation, including trying to obtain a search warrant for the vehicle the women were in.

"We're trying to confirm any information that we did receive," he said.

Schwartz said no further description of the males was available Wednesday.

If anyone has information about the males' whereabouts, they are asked to contact the Kinnelon Police Detective Bureau at 973-838-5400.

Check back with Tri-Boro Patch for updates as they become available.


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