Arrested Man Suspected in Nutley Burglaries

A Hackensack man has been arrested and accused of burglarizing a home in Nutley and authorities say he may be linked to several residential burglaries throughout Bergen County and Nutley.

Hakeem Chance, 22 of Hackensack, was arrested Thursday arrested and charged with one count of burglary, eight counts of aggravated assault on a police officer, and one count of weapons possession, according to Nutley Det. Anthony Montaneri. He is being held in the Essex County Jail in lieu of $500,000 bail.

Mayor Alphonse Petracco, director of the Nutley Police Dept. said Chance will also be investigated for other Nutley crimes. "So, in addition to many of the other out of county  burglaries that are being investigated, Nutley detectives will be comparing prints and evidence potentially tying Chance to several other Nutley burglaries that he may be responsible for as well," said the mayor in a statement.

Montaneri said Nutley police are still investigating other area burglaries that have occurred with similar entries, where rear glass sliding doors were either shattered or broken to allow entry.

Police Chief John Holland said that the communication between the task force detectives and Nutley police "was quick, accurate and precise."

He said that surrounding police, including Clifton, Bloomfield, Montclair and Little Falls assisted in both the car and foot pursuits, and commended the efforts of the task force.

"That virtually caught these burglars in the act," Holland said in a statement.

After confirming that a home on Spatz Avenue was  burglarized on Thursday, July 12, Nutley police and detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s tried to stop a dark blue BMW sedan on East Passaic Avenue and Centre Street at 10:07 p.m., three blocks from the burglary.

As police pursued him, Chance rammed the car into three Bergen County task force cars and led police on a high speed pursuit that ended with Chance captured in Little Falls. His accomplice fled on foot and remained at large as of Monday morning, Montaneri said.

Chance was arrested and transported back to Nutley. Bergen County detectives searched Chance's home and recovered an undisclosed controlled dangerous substance, while burglary tools, ski masks, and gloves were found in the BMW. 

Detectives are searching for stolen items and Chance's accomplice.

A multi-jurisdictional task force of detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutors Office, Fort Lee, Teaneck, Hackensack, Fairview, Englewood, River Edge, Morris Township, Warren Township, Montville, Edison, Bergen County Sheriff, Somerset, Morris and Union County Prosecutor’s Offices formed to investigate burglaries throughout the different counties and assisted in the case.