53°
A Summit Avenue resident called police at 3:20 a.m. Monday after finding Mario Moriano, 43, in his car, Capt. John Valente told Daily Voice.
He called out to a bloodied Moriano, who told him he'd been beaten and then quickly walked away, he said.
Responding officers found Moriano near the corner of New York Avenue with a severe cut on one of his fingers and took him into custody, Valente said.
They later walked the neighborhood -- along Summit, New York and Pennsylvania avenues and Mountain Way -- and found several blood-stained vehicles, he said.
"He was trying door handles and moving on whenever he found any that were locked," the captain said.
Police also found a home where Moriano cut his hand breaking in through a basement window, Valente said.
"There was blood all over the house," he said.
A warranted search of Moriano's apartment turned up bags of clothing, cellphone charges, credit cards, sunglasses, a wallet, a school ID and motor vehicle paperwork, among other stolen items, the captain said.
Some of the items were stolen from cars during a similar spree Thursday night into Friday morning, he said.
Still missing were various electronic devices that authorities believe were sold.
"All told, we had 19 victims -- the owner of the house and the owners of 18 vehicles," Valente said.
Initial charges included nine counts of criminal mischief (for the blood damage to the cars), 11 of receiving stolen property and three burglary charges.
Moriano was taken to Bergen Regional Medical Center for an evaluation pending transfer to the Bergen County Jail.
A judge increased his bail to $22,500 from an initial $10,000 during the investigation -- and could go higher as a result of what Valente said were expected to be additional charges.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Lyndhurst and receive free news updates.
