48°
This time, Moonachie police said they caught him trying to steal a car from the Costco parking lot off Routes 17 and 46.
Joseph Murphy, 34, of Scranton, PA wasn't carrying ID, but police recognized him from a Daily Voice story published just hours earlier about the stolen car crash.
Teaneck police busted Murphy earlier this week for stealing packages off porches. They released him, after which he was caught trespassing in an office building.
They arrested Murphy again and took him to Holy Name Medical Center. He was discharged Tuesday afternoon and headed up Teaneck Road to the area of the Dollar Store, where authorities said he stole a car.
A short time later, Murphy crashed the stolen 2001 Honda Civic into a dry cleaners van on Knickerbocker Road at High Street in Closter, they said.
Police who'd established a perimeter found and arrested Murphy a short time later, then sent him to the Bergen County Jail.
A judge released Murphy from the lockup in Hackensack shortly before 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, records show.
Less than two hours later, Moonachie police got a call from Costco, where security reported seeing him trying to break into several vehicles.
Sgt. Jeff Napolitano and Officer Sean Mulligan found Murphy hiding in the treees behind Walmart, police said.
He claimed he'd been trying to break into his own car after locking the keys inside -- when, in fact, the vehicle belonged to a worker at Costco, they said.
Murphy wasn't carrying identification, but he looked familiar. An officer who'd read about the stolen car crash brought up the story to check his mugshot.
Bingo.
Murphy was back in the county jail, where he remained held Thursday pending another detention hearing. Moonachie police charged him with attempted theft and possession of burglary tools.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Washington Township and receive free news updates.
