Belleville Hires School Security Consultant, Nutley Man Charged in Massive Fraud Scheme

Missed some of the headlines during the past month? Following are the most popular stories on Belleville-Nutley Patch in the month of January.

Belleville police Jan. 24 arrested two women on prostitution charges following an undercover investigation of a Washington Avenue business. A third woman, the suspected madame, was believed to have fled the country, 

A man with homes in Nutley and Lyndhurst was among those charged in a multimillion-dollar mortgage fraud scheme involving properties in Newark and Elizabeth.

A Belleville gift store was heavily damaged in a fire early on Jan. 13.

A burglar entered a Nutley home while an occupant of the residence was upstairs. The burglar fled before being spotted by the resident.

A number of burglaries occurred in Nutley in the middle of the month, including one incident in which a man gained admittance to a home by posing a township employee. The man stole several items and documents after the victim had been tricked into waiting in the basement. 

The Belleville Board of Education hired a former mayor as a security consultant. He will serve on a temporary, contract basis. 

A motor vehicle stop by Nutley police led to the arrest of a township man suspected of robbing a Clifton bank a few days before. Police reportedly found evidence linking him to the crime, including an airsoft-style pellet gun and clothing matching that worn by the robber.

Belleville police arrested suspects in two different burglaries occurring the middle of the month, including one incident where a homeowner startled the would-be thieves, police said.

A woman who discovered her car missing saw it being driven by an unknown man a few hours after she’d parked it, Nutley police said. Originally believing it had been towed, she had been on her way to the police station when she saw the vehicle.

The aging Centre Street bridge in Nutley will remain partly open to traffic  during renovations scheduled later this year, township officials announced.

Two brothers brandishing a sword during a dispute with a third man were arrested in Belleville. The three were arguing over damage to a car belonging to the brothers.