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Task force detectives tailed the pair Wednesday night as they cased houses in Teaneck, Leonia, Palisades Park and, finally, the East Hill section of Englewood, where the pair forced open the front door of an unoccupied home on Arch Road, said Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli.
Moments later, the burglars came out the back door with the floor safe and the cash, he said.
The detectives moved in once the pair reached one of their homes, Molinelli said. Despite a struggle, both were arrested.
Detectives then got search warrants and recovered the safe, the cash and pillow cases stuffed with three jewelry boxes in the car, and a briefcase taken from the Arch Road home, he said. They also found undisclosed evidence linking both men to a Rochelle Park break-in, the prosecutor said.
Molinelli identified the pair as parolee Melvin Collins, of Teaneck, a 43-year-old employee of a Hackensack paint store, and William “Christopher” Collins, 36, of Hackensack, who works at a Manhattan carpet store.
Both had been tied to a rash of burglaries in and around Rochelle Park, prompting Molinelli’s detective unit to pull together the task force.
Molinelli thanked several local police departments who contributed members to the task force: Teaneck, Rochelle Park, Englewood Cliffs, Englewood, Paramus and River Edge.
Before their investigation is through, they may end up tying the two men to other burglaries, as well.
Melvin and William Collins are being held on $100,000 bail each in the Bergen County Jail, charged with burglary, theft, receiving stolen property and possession of burglar’s tools.
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