Fairfield (NJ) – The Fairfield Police Department announces the arrests of Ibn Chambers (19) and a juvenile (15), whose name is being withheld because of their age, both of Newark, NJ on burglary charges stemming from numerous incidents that occurred on July 13, 2023. On that date, between the hours of 1:54 am – 2:16 am, it is alleged that these suspects and some that have still not been identified either entered or attempted to enter vehicles at five separate addresses on Campbell Road, Barbara Drive, and some other streets. Video surveillance provided to the police by residents in these areas show the actors pulling on door handles looking for unlocked vehicles. When a vehicle is found to be locked, they move on until they find those that are unlocked.Some of the items that were taken from these vehicles included vehicle documents, money, sunglasses and an I-Phone 14. No actual vehicles were stolen.
Later that same morning, the Clifton Police Department conducted a motor vehicle stop of a vehicle that was driving slowly in their residential areas. All of the occupants of this vehicle were identified. It is alleged that the Clifton police recovered a cell phone inside of the suspects’ vehicle that was later found to have been stolen from one of the vehicles in Fairfield earlier.
Using home video camera footage provided by residents and in also using the department’s automated license plate reader system, Detective Nicholas Cocchi was allegedly able to confirm that this same suspect vehicle was in Fairfield at the times these burglaries occurred and also able to identify Chambers and the juvenile as two of the suspects.
Chambers was charged on July 18, 2023, with burglary and attempted burglary and is scheduled to appear at the Essex County Courthouse in Newark on October 3, 2023. The juvenile was charged on July 18, 2023, with burglary, theft by unlawful taking, and attempted burglary. A future court date is pending via the Essex County Family Court.
“The culmination of this investigation has confirmed two things that we want to reiterate to the public. First, out of the five victims in these cases, three of them had their vehicles locked in their driveways, which stopped the suspects from committing any further crimes and second, residential video is so important in aiding us in solving crimes” said Officer Stacy Chiarolanza. “We continue toencourage members of the public to add cameras to their homes and to share their video when the police ask them for it,” said Chiarolanza.
(Charges are merely allegations until the defendantsare proven guilty or plead guilty in a court of law).
Issued by: Officer Stacy Chiarolanza (PIO)
