62°
Aley Beretay ordinarily was on a bicycle when he gave law enforcers the slip a number of times the past week or so.
Then, around 9 p.m. Monday, June 10, a township resident walked into headquarters and said she'd just seen a man fitting his description riding a bike along Teaneck Road near Elizabeth Avenue, Police Chief Andrew McGurr said.
Detectives who already were working undercover in the area were alerted, the chief said.
Beretay hopped off the two-wheeler and bolted when he spotted them on Queen Anne Road near Ayers Court, McGurr said.
Detective Matthew Carratura chased Beretay down and, with Detectives Selena Sustache and Melissa Terpstra, took him into custody.
Beretay -- who's been breaking into homes, businesses and vehicles for more than half his life -- was carrying what the chief called a "significant" amount of cash believed stolen during the recent burglaries.
The bicycle itself had been swiped within the previous 48 hours, he said.
A bail reform poster boy to top most others, Beretay has been busted dozens of times since 2002, although never for anything significant enough to put him away for very long.
Late November, for instance, Teaneck police arrested him for stealing a bicycle barely 24 hours after he'd been released from jail.
Another judge released Beretay less than 48 hours later.
Teaneck police issued a public alert after Beretay was seen on a Longview Court resident's doorbell camera video climbing in through their porch window at 1:30 a.m. last Monday.
Beretay -- whose last known address is in the Murray Hill section of Manhattan -- fled with a GT bicycle, two pairs of sneakers, and several electrical cords, the chief said.
When officers spotted him near the T-State Plaza a short time later, Beretay hopped off the stolen bicycle, tossed a bag he was carrying and ran toward Englewood Avenue, McGurr said.
Inside the bag was a collection of swag that included sunglasses and multiple pairs of earphones still in their original boxes, he said.
Beretay eluded a subsequent dragnet. Police, in turn, produced a complaint charging him with burglary, theft and resisting arrest. Meanwhile, they kept an eye out.
It was around 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 5, when they were called to the parking lot of the Davis, Saperstein & Salomon law firm on Cedar Lane, where a vehicle burglar had been spotted holding a hand truck.
Responding officers recovered the hand truck and a black bag containing several cases of energy drinks, the chief said.
It was Beretay again, he said.
Later that same day, a Carroll Place resident showed police a cellphone photo of Beretay after chasing him from behind their home. A search proved fruitless.
Beretay was also caught on surveillance video coming and going from an unlocked home on Cherry Lane over the course of two hours that same night, McGurr said. He took cash, jewelry, electronics and clothing, the chief said.
Police almost had Beretay around 7 p.m. Thursday after an off-duty officer spotted him on Copley Avenue. Once again, he was quickly in the wind.
Two hours later, a Beech Street resident flagged down uniformed officers. Doorbell camera video showed Beretay "walking through their backyard and attempting to enter their unlocked parked vehicle," McGurr said.
Monday, June 10, began with a report from a Hickory Street resident that a family member's vehicle was burglarized. A neighbor who recognized Beretay from news reports scared him off, the chief said.
The end of the day brought the station house visit from the concerned citizen, he said.
Given the circumstances, Beretay was expected to remain held in the Bergen County Jail on a host of burglary-, theft- and resisting-related charges.
More will be filed once investigations into some of the remaining break-ins have been completed, McGurr said Tuesday.
The chief thanked Bergen County Sheriff Anthony Cureton's department for its assistance. He also praised the good Samaritan who rushed to the police desk after spotting Beretay on the street.
"This incident highlights the critical role that community members play in assisting law enforcement and exemplifies the core principles of community policing," McGurr said.
"The collaboration between the public and the police department is essential in addressing and preventing crime, ensuring a safer community for all," the chief said.
McGurr reminded citizens to lock their homes and vehicles and "never hesitate to contact the police department whenever they observe suspicious persons or circumstances."
His officers would rather find nothing -- and at the same time serve as a deterrent -- than have you become a victim.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Scotch Plains-Fanwood and receive free news updates.
