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The sound of someone trying to open their rear porch door awoke the Catherine Street couple around 10 p.m. Thursday, Detective Sgt. James DePreta said.
Moments later, they found 28-year-old Nicholas Maziot, who'd climbed in through a second-story window, he said.
Maziot climbed out the same window, jumped from the roof to the ground, then hid outside while summoning a ride through his Lyft app, the sergeant said.
By that point, police from Rochelle Park, Maywood and Paramus had begun converging on the area.
Thinking his ride had arrived, Maziot suddenly emerged from an Oldis Street backyard and walked toward a "ghost car" driven by Maywood Police Officer Brian Rubio, DePreta said.
"Imagine his surprise," the sergeant said.
By the time that Maziot he realized his mistake, it was too late.
Officers Brian Gallina, Nick Mercoun, and Jorge Orihuela, along with Rubio and Maywood Police Sgt. Kevin Madden quickly had him in custody.
Maziot, who is homeless, admitted that he pulled a "second-story" move, climbing onto an adjacent roof and then through the window, believing no one was home at the time, DePreta said.
He also was wanted on warrants out of Passaic County (2) and Sparta.
He was sent to the Bergen County Jail pending a detention hearing in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack on charges of burglary, criminal attempt of theft, possession of burglary tools, criminal mischief, trespassing and hindering apprehension.
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