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Officer Dean Pinto and Detectives Chris Bermudez and Detective Jim DePreta were assigned to the detail east of Rochelle Avenue between Central Avenue and Essex Street when they spotted 20-year-old Richard Rodriguez walking east on Becker Avenue around 1 a.m.
Rodriguez, who has a past burglary history, already was seen in people’s driveways on residential security video, DePreta said.
As they followed him on foot and in an unmarked car, Rodriguez walked up private driveways, looking into car windows, the detective said.
Following him was simple, DePreta said: At virtually every stop, Rodriguez triggered motion sensor lights.
“At times he was seen in residential backyards,” DePreta said.
Around 1:45 a.m., he said, the three converged on Rodriguez as rummaged through a 1999 Ford Taurus on Grove Avenue. He initially strugged, DePreta said, but was quickly subdued.
The officers found him carrying the proceeds from two separate cars belonging to the same owner, he said.
Rodriguez was being held on $53,000 bail in the Bergen County Jail, charged with two counts of burglary, two of theft and one each of resisting arrest, criminal attempt to commit burglary, criminal attempt to commit theft, defiant trespassing and possession of burglary tools.
Meanwhile, detectives were investigating his possible involvement in several unsolved burglaries, DePreta said.
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