Pair Wanted for Nutley Burglary Caught in Bloomfield Pursuit, Police Say

A Nutley resident was sitting on his couch Wednesday afternoon when he was startled by an intruder peeking around the corner of his kitchen, police said.

The intruder fled when he realized someone was home but a neighbor provided a description of the getaway car that led to the arrests of the burglar and his accomplice following a pursuit in Bloomfield later in the day, police said.

Officers responded to the Daily Street home and found the resident hiding in a bedroom at about 1:45 p.m. Wednesday.

Police said the intruder gained entry through an unlocked rear window and fled when he realized the resident was home. A neighbor provided a description of the getaway vehicle, which was spotted about 30 minutes later coming out of a cul-de-sac off Hoover Avenue in Bloomfield, police said.

Bloomfield Detective Sgt. Michael Sisco and Detective Lt. Joseph Krentz attempted to pull over the white Buick on Hoover Avenue near Plymouth Court but the driver took evasive maneuvers to elude the detectives, according to a Bloomfield Police statement.

After a short chase, the vehicle stopped on the 200 block of East Passaic Avenue, where the passenger, Davon Harrington, 23, of Newark, was apprehended by Lt. Krentz as he tried to run from the vehicle, police said.

The driver, Khalil Gilliam, 19, also of Newark, ran into a yard on East Passaic Avenue and climbed over an 8-foot fence where Sgt. Sisco lost sight of him, police said.

Police from Bloomfield, Nutley, Belleville, Clifton and the Essex County Sheriff’s Department continued the search. According to Lt. Krentz, shortly after Gilliam jumped the fence, Officer Hector Cartagena spotted him crossing Hoover Avenue.

Officer Michael Falco found and chased Gilliam, finally catching him in the rear yard of a home on Pake Street in Nutley, police said.

Nutley police said they later discovered Gilliam went up to another home on Daily Street and rang the bell in a burglary attempt but was apparently scared off.

Gilliam was charged with two counts of burglary, theft of movable property, receiving stolen property, resisting arrest and conspiracy.

Harrington was charged with two counts of burglary, receiving stolen property and conspiracy.

Police said Harrington waited in the vehicle while Gilliam went into the Daily Street home.

Judge John Paparazzo set bail at $50,000 for both men and a court date is pending.

After interviewing the two men and gathering evidence, Bloomfield detectives believe they were also responsible for a burglary that occurred on Farmingdale Avenue earlier in the day.