Eagle-Eyed Neighbor Nabs Teen Burglars

The fast actions of an observant neighbor led to the arrest of three teens in Morris Township, according to Morris Township Police Captain Richard Ferrone.

Ferrone said all three teenagers were apprehended today after breaking into a home on Fieldstone Drive. An eagle-eyed neighbor saw the three young men walk down the driveway and knock on the front door of an unoccupied home before going around to the back of the house and forcing their way through the rear door, Ferrone said.

Officers David Kosakowski and Nick Cevasco responded to the location and after one teen was captured immediately, another attempted to escape by fleeing from the residence on foot and was captured a short distance away by Sgt. David Powell Ferrone said.

"The third suspect was captured with the assistance of K9 from the Morris County Sheriff's Department," Ferrone said.

During processing at Police Headquarters, Ferrone said the three minors were determined to be a 16-year-old and two 17-year-olds from the Morristown/Morris Township area.

"The observant neighbor is to be commended for recognizing suspicious activity and calling the police immediately," Ferrone said. "So often we investigate suspicious incidents that are reported hours and sometimes days after someone observed the activity. The delay makes it that much more difficult to determine if the suspicious person or vehicle are actually up to no good."

Residents are asked to:

• Be alert! 
• Know your neighbors and watch out for each other
• Report someone screaming or shouting for help
• Report someone looking in windows of houses and parked
• cars
• Report property being taken out of houses where no one is
• at home or from closed businesses
• Report cars, van, or trucks moving slowly with no apparent
• destination or without lights
• Report a stranger sitting in a car
• Report these incidents to the police department immediately.

• Calling 9-1-1 immediately
• Explaining what happened
• Briefly describing the suspect: gender and race, age, height, weight, hair color, clothing, distinctive characteristics such as a beard, mustache, scars, or accent.
• Describing the vehicle if one was involved: color; make,  model, year, license plate, 2 door or 4 door and special features such as stickers.