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The joke was on them, however: There weren't any valuables in it, authorities said.
Dino Pizzo, 47, was arrested at his Edison home on Saturday, April 29, after Montvale Police Detective Sgt. Andrew Fedick identified him as the stealthy intruder, Police Chief Douglas McDowell said.
Pizzo's partner went to the victim's home on a dead-end street on the east side of town shortly after 1:30 p.m. Thursday with a story about doing tree work and a question about property lines, the chief said.
The victim's wife stayed inside while her husband was kept occupied, but Pizzo managed to slip in unnoticed, McDowell said.
Pizzo initially found a locked box that he broke open only to discover nothing inside, the chief said.
So he grabbed a second box, tucked it under his arm and ducked out before driving off in a 2023 Chevy Silverado.
Fedick eventually zeroed in on Pizzo, who was arrested, brought to Montvale and processed on charges of burglary, theft and criminal trespassing.
Police sent Pizzo to the Bergen County Jail, only to have a judge release him around 5 p.m. on Saturday.
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