A Valley Street resident returned home Wednesday at around 12:20 p.m. to find a man leaving her driveway after allegedly breaking into her home, said Sgt. Christopher Black of the Maplewood Police Department.
The woman said she saw the man, who she described as African American, between 20-25 years old, short and wearing a red checkered shirt, exiting her driveway, said Black. The man then ran south on Valley Street.
The resident found damage to her back door of her house. Police arrived and checked the house. Additional Maplewood officers as well as Millburn and Union police officers assisted in setting up a perimeter and searching for the suspect, said Black.
The Essex County Sheriff was contacted and sent a dog in an attempt to track the man, but the dog eventually lost the scent on Millburn Avenue, Black said. Police found some of the proceeds of the burglary in the brook behind Enterprise Car Rental. The detective bureau is actively investigating this case.
