Police made two arrests in a string of area burglaries. Watch video
HACKENSACK -- Police made two arrests in a string of area burglaries.
The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office Special Investigations Squad in November began investigating a series of residential burglaries that shared similarities, like when and how they were committed, acting Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal said in a release.
Police in Bergen, Passaic and Essex counties shared information on the burglaries and identified Artur Kowitca, 22, as a person of interest, Grewal said. A task force including officers from 19 county and local agencies was formed.
The task force began tracking Kowitca, a Passaic resident, in December. While conducting surveillance on Kowitca, the task force identified Shaun Wilder, 27, as a possible co-conspirator in the burglary spree, Grewal said.
Detectives on Monday followed Kowitca and Wilder, an Old Bridge resident, to Fair Lawn. They broke into a home on Yerger Road, but fled after activating the alarm, Grewal said.
They went on to Maywood. There they broke into a home on Loughlin Place but were driven off by a homeowner, Grewal said.
Detectives found their vehicle on Hartwich Street in Maywood. Only Wilder was inside, Grewal said.
Kowitca returned shortly after. Detectives believe he may have committed another burglary in the area, Grewal said.
Detectives followed their vehicle through Hackensack, where it stopped in the back of a high-rise apartment on Anderson Street. Kowitca got out with a cloth sack and went to the trunk.
Detectives arrested them as they tried to secure the proceeds from the Hartwich Street burglary in the trunk, Grewal said.
Kowitca and Wilder were each charged with three counts of burglary and one count of theft. A judge set bail at $350,000 for Kowitca and $100,000 for Wilder. They were sent to Bergen County Jail.
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