Hazlet Police Investigating Two House Burglaries

Hazlet Police are investigating two recent residential burglaries in the township.

• On Thursday, May 31, a homeowner returned home to his Lafayette Drive home around 4:30 p.m. and went to cut the grass. He noticed a narrow basement window had been broken out. He immediately called the police. An inspection of his home revealed a suspect has entered the master bedroom and attempted to pry open a safe with tools, but failed. But the suspect did make off with $5,000 worth of jewelry and assorted ladies undergarments. He exited from the rear of the house. 

• On Monday, June 4, a homeowner came to his Virginia Avenue house for lunch at 11:18 a.m. and heard someone upstairs. Thinking it was his wife, he headed upstairs. The suspect, meanwhile, realized that someone was coming and climbed out the window onto the garage roof, jumped down to the ground, and hopped over a fence. Hazlet Police K-9 Diablo later tracked his scent down Virginia Ave. The homeowner said he never got a glimpse of the suspect, who got off with about $1,000 of the homeowner's cash and $5,000 worth of assorted jewelry. The suspect entered through a rear window.

Hazlet Police Det. Lt. Charles McBride said that most residential burglaries occur during the day when homeowners are expected to be out. He also said jewelry thieves typically have no trouble finding a jewelry box in the master bedroom, but are halted by home safes that are locked and bolted to the floor.

He asked residents to be vigilant about strangers in their neighborhoods.

 "Be aware of people wandering around your neighborhood, especially if they are by themselves," McBride said. "Call police if you see anything suspicious."

Hazlet Police can be reached at 732-264-6565.