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Four Arrested After Series of Cell Phone Thefts in Maplewood
Monday, July 2, 2012 • 5:21pm
MAPLEWOOD, NJ - Police arrested four people in connection with a series of stole cell phones in Maplewood.
All the victims reported their cell phones were stolen by a juvenile who then either fled on foot or jumped into a blue pickup truck.
According to reports, on June 25 a juvenile female told police she was walking in the area of Tuscan Road and Rutgers Street when she was approached by a juvenile male who requested to use her cell phone. When she did not reply, he grabbed her phone and ran.
On June 26, a sanitation worker reported that he was approached by a young black male on Indiana Street, who asked if he could use the man's phone. When he sanitation worker handed to phone to the suspect, he took it and ran to a nearby blue pickup truck.
On June 27, a juvenile and his guardian reported that on June 25, the boy's iPhone was taken from Tuscan school. The victim observed a black male, somewhere in his late teens or early 20s, running from the area and entering a blue, Chevrolet pickup truck.
On June 27, a female was walking on Prospect Street in the area of Jennifer Lane when a black male juvenile approached her and asked to use her phone. She gave the phone to the suspect, who ran to a waiting blue pickup truck. A witness to the theft called police and provided a description of the suspect and vehicle.
Maplewood police officers observed a vehicle fitting the description near the intersection of Springfield Avenue and Indiana Street. Police said the vehicle was stopped on S. Pierson Road and four individuals exited the vehicle and attempted to walk away from it. All were detained pending investigation. The vehicle and suspect were identified by the most recent victim.
Police said Quinton McCleese-Stokes of Newark, Jassiem Harper of Irvington as well as two juveniles from Irvington were arrested.
