Burglar gets away with over $200,000 in goods from Montvale Jewelry

A burglar broke into a Montvale jewelry store Sunday night and got away with more than $200,000 in goods after he was discovered by the store owner. The Montvale Jewelry store owner returned to the store about 8:30 p.m. Sunday night to discover a burglar inside. The burglar fled out the back as the owner came through the front door. He was not harmed in the incident. The burglar, who was wearing a ski mask, disabled the store alarm by cutting the phone lines and then kicked in the rear door. A police dog tracked the burglar’s scent to the street but then lost the trail. This indicates that he had a car waiting for him on the street.

Burglary in New Jersey is governed by N.J.S. 2C:18-2 which provides in pertinent part:

§ 2C:18-2. Burglary

a. Burglary defined. A person is guilty of burglary if, with purpose to commit an offense therein he:

(1) Enters a research facility, structure, or a separately secured or occupied portion thereof unless the structure was at the time open to the public or the actor is licensed or privileged to enter; or

(2) Surreptitiously remains in a research facility, structure, or a separately secured or occupied portion thereof knowing that he is not licensed or privileged to do so.

b. Grading. Burglary is a crime of the second degree if in the course of committing the offense, the actor:

(1) Purposely, knowingly or recklessly inflicts, attempts to inflict or threatens to inflict bodily injury on anyone; or

(2) Is armed with or displays what appear to be explosives or a deadly weapon.

Otherwise burglary is a crime of the third degree. An act shall be deemed “in the course of committing” an offense if it occurs in an attempt to commit an offense or in immediate flight after the attempt or commission.