Alert observations by two Verona Police officers have apparently prevented another burglary or auto theft.
According to the Verona Police Department, early Wednesday morning Officers Clark and O’Neill were on patrol and observed a white Honda Accord parked in the middle of Martin Road, a street in the Laning Avenue district that runs parallel to Pompton Avenue.
As the officers attempted to check on the vehicle, they saw a person running from a driveway to the car. They believed that that person and the vehicle’s driver were attempting to commit a motor vehicle theft or burglary. The officers tried to stop the Honda, but it fled the scene at a high rate of speed. The car was later found to have been stolen in East Orange.
“Thankfully, these criminals were unsuccessful in their attempt due to the resident locking their vehicle and the alert observation by Officers Clark and O’Neill,” the VPD said in a post to its Facebook page. Officer Clark joined the VPD in 2021; Officer O’Neill joined the department early this month.
The Police Department is once again reminding residents to lock their cars and homes, and to call Verona’s dispatch desk at 973-239-5000 if they see suspicious activity.
