Montclair Police say vandals were busy spraying graffiti on cars, sidewalks and doors during the night of Oct. 22 into early morning on Oct. 23. Fourteen incidents in total were reported, mostly by residents who awoke to find damage to their property on the morning of Oct. 23.
Orange spray paint was used on the sidewalk at Wayside Place, where one resident found “Pyro” and another found “I Love UR Mom” sprayed on the concrete. Cars parked in private driveways on Freemont Place, Tichenor Plance, Charles Street and Graham Terrace were found with orange and cream-colored graffiti. Two front doors on Stonebridge and one on Wayside were also hit by the graffiti vandals, who drew “stick figures with appendages,” “ASIAN RULE,” and smiley faces =) according to police reports. Two vehicles on Nishuane Road were randomly splattered with paint. Although some of the markings on the vehicles were “Blood” and “Blood Gang,” Lt. Scott Buehler says it’s unlikely the vandalism is gang-related. Back in September, a spate of green graffiti marked Montclair. Earlier this month, Little Falls was tagged.
Three thefts and one burglary were also reported in this week’s police blotter:
October 22: At 6:20 p.m., police were called to Division East on Bloomfield Avenue. An employee of the skateboarding specialty store told police four black men, approximately 18-20 years-old, came in to look at sneakers. The employee went in the back for to get some shoes they wanted; upon returning to the main room, the employee saw the four suspects running out the door – three of them wearing brand new Nikes, valued at $280.
A business owner on the block saw the four guys duck down the alley to Seymour Street and drove off in a silver Acura TL.
October 23: A vacant house under construction on Eagle Rock Way was burglarized; $200 worth of tools taken. Entry was through an unlocked window.
October 27: A man reported someone broke into the trunk of his1991 BMW while parked on South Fullerton by The Crescent between 7-9 p.m. His two guitars, worth $2,000 were stolen – a 1990′s model Martin acoustic, and a Fender Stratocaster. Police say the trunk lid was simply forced open.
October 27: A man reported that his Bellevue Lot 6-month parking permit, left hanging from his rear-view mirror, was stolen from his unlocked car. The theft happened around 5 p.m. while he was shopping at the A&P on Valley Road, parked in the A&P lot.
Sigh. This is the result of what happens after the town severely cuts community policing… Stupid, bc this is the kind of thing ppl consider when moving in/moving out of Montclair, eg, “This kind of thing wouldn’t happen in Millburn!” It’s a slippery slope…
Wouldn’t a stick figure without appendages just be a stick?
I owned property in Maplewood and worked in Maplewood for years, until retiring ’01.
This kinda stuff rarely happens there.
The #1 crime there is stealing those
aftermarket, stick on the top of the
dashboard GPS units, by smashing the
car’s window. Peaople are slow to
learn to hide them when not in use.
There’s a little more “action” in
South Orange, but not as bad as I
read & hear of, in Montclair.
Springfield has even less than
Maplewood.
“Wouldn’t a stick figure without appendages just be a stick?”
In think the implication here is 5 appendages not just 4. So no.
The appendage vandals wanted to stick it to them.
Essex county, the armpit of America
Oy, how can you call it the “Armpit of America”?
Look at Brookdale park, in Bloomfield/Montclair;
Verona Park with its boathouse,
South Orange’s Cafes, te Entertainment Center, the Duck Pond and the rolling Hills,
The Livingston Mall & Short Hills Malls for shopping,
The West Orange Cody center and a terrific Zoo next door,
The South Orange / Millburn Nature Preserve and Resorvation,
and dozens of Historic Landmarks, and this is the Armpit of America?
Or are you only thinking of Irvington, Newark, East Orange & Orange ?? How about the OTHER 18 towns ??