Stop by Vanessa
Four individuals have been charged following a series of residential burglaries that unfolded across five Bergen county towns in the early hours of November 26, 2024.
According to multiple police sources, the home invasions began around 12:50 a.m. when Englewood Police Department officers responded to a report of intruders at a home on Chestnut Street. However, the suspects fled before the police officers arrived. Surveillance footage in the area captured the intruders escaping in a dark vehicle. Over the next 3 hours, several similar break-ins or attempts occurred in Cresskill, Paramus, Tenafly, and again in Englewood. In each case. Residents reported hearing noises or alarms triggering. Security footage consistently showed the same three masked individuals, often carrying a crowbar.
Despite the suspects avoiding capture that night, a joint investigation involving multiple local police departments and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office led to their identification over the following months. Authorities ultimately charged 18-year-old Jason N. Amador, 23-year-old, Rahiem A. Maldonado, 22-year-old, Altamir L. Thornton – all of Newark – and a 17-year-old juvenile from Woodbridge.
Raheem Maldonado and Altamir Thornton were already in jail from a separate armed robbery case, when the new charges related to the Bergen County Burglaries were filed against them. Amador and the juvenile were arrested in April 2025. Items believed to be stolen during the burglary spree were also recovered during a prior search of Thornton’s residence, pursuant to a search warrant.
As with all criminal cases, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella reminds the public that the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Prosecutor Mark Musella acknowledged the municipal police departments of Bergen County and those whose efforts were a part of this investigation including the Hasbrouck Heights Police Department, Paramus Police Department, Saddle River Police Department, Tenafly Police Department, Upper Saddle River Police Department, Cresskill Police Department, and Englewood Police Department.
