Police Find Link Between Local Burglaries and Union County Crimes

A Newark resident already behind bars faces charges old and new in connection with a string of commercial burglaries between Parsippany and Cranford.

says Abdurraheem Akbar, 52, is being held in Union County Jail for similar incidents in Mountainside and Cranford.

The township's part of the story began in early March, when Parsippany officers were called to commercial buildings at 959 Route 46 and 181 and 239 New Road to investigate burglaries reported between March 2 at 5 p.m. and the start of business on March 5.

Police said five businesses in all were burglarized and that two others were found to have pry marks on the locks of their main entry doors. 

A computer, an electronic router and an undetermined amount of cash was reported stolen from the businesses, according to police.

In each building reported to have been burglarized, police said pry marks were found on the main entry doors and that the suspect disabled main security cameras. 

Det. Joseph Puso of the PPD’s Investigative Division launched an investigation.

During the probe, Puso obtained a copy of an office video from a hidden camera not connected to the main system that showed a man burglarizing one of the offices on March 2 at about 6 p.m.

Puso later learned that similar burglaries had occurred in East Hanover--and found surveillance photos featuring the same suspect.

That man was later identified as Akbar, who is now in Union County Jail facing commercial burglary charges issued by both the Mountainside and Cranford police departments.

The suspect now faces Parsippany charges as well: five counts of burglary, five counts of theft of movable property and two counts of criminal attempt, police said.

Akbar is being held in lieu of $25,000.00 bail with no 10 percent option on the Parsippany charges.

For questions on this blotter, contact natalie.davis@patch.com.