Crime & Safety

Robbery in Township Latest in String

The thief stole jewelry and cash from a home on Rolling Hill Drive.

A home invasion burglary in the township Tuesday was the latest in a string of similar thefts in the municipality.

Police said a Rolling Hill Drive homeowner returned to their house on Tuesday night to find it had been ransacked. The person had not been home since 7 p.m.

Jewelry and cash had been taken, and police said it had appeared the thief had entered the house through an unlocked door.

Find out what's happening in Chathamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Police reported to the scene at about 9 p.m. Tuesday, and Township Police Detective Maureen Kazaba, as well as the Morris County Criminal Investigation Section, assisted in the investigation.

Kazaba came to a Township Committee meeting last month to discuss a tide of recent burglaries throughout the community. There have been a string of home invasions in recent months, and they have increased since Dec. 1.

Find out what's happening in Chathamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

She blamed a poor economy and an uptick in gold prices for the increase. But she said people can help ensure that the thefts do not continue.

"What we're asking people to do is be very alert," Kazaba said at the February meeting.

Township police have urged people to lock their doors and to make it appear as if they are home when they are not.

In other police news, police said they arrested Ademir Santana, 33, of Newark, for driving a vehicle with a suspended registration.

Police said they stopped Santana after a random license plate check indicated the registration was suspended.

Santana was issued a summons, and two passengers—Ivan Guerra, 41, and his brother Jeovane Guerra, 42, both of Newark—were arrested on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement warrants. They were turned over to ICE after processing.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.