EHC Burglar Caught

By MICHELLE BRUNETTI POST, Staff Writer

EGG HARBOR CITY — City police arrested a man Sunday they believe is linked to a rash of recent burglaries of commercial properties in the downtown since Jan. 15.

Police responded to a series of burglar alarms and found Nelson Figueroa, 19, of Egg Harbor City, fleeing from the Discount City Liquor store on the White Horse Pike in the Incollingo’s shopping center.

Egg Harbor City Police had help from the Mullica Township, Egg Harbor Township and Hamilton Township Police Departments, said Chief John McColgan.

“His pattern was to hit several places in one night, once a week or something,” said McColgan. “He kept hitting us and hitting us.”

McColgan said there was some video of the break-ins, but the suspect was wearing gloves and a mask.

Figueroa was found to have a large sum of cash on his person, along with burglar tools, police said.

After an investigation, police determined that Figueroa was directly linked to nighttime burglaries of restaurants, stores and gas stations on Jan. 15, Jan. 23, and Jan. 29 around the city, police said. On Jan. 15 Hamy’s Bar and Howell’s restaurant on Philadelphia Avenue and the Gas Stop on the White Horse Pike were burglarized. On Jan. 23 the Gas Stop was hit again; and on Jan. 29 Pepe’s restaurant on Cincinnati Avenue was burglarized, said Sgt. Remon Soliman.

Figueroa was charged with the burglaries and taken to the Atlantic County Justice Facility on $75,000 cash bail.

The suspect was caught when patrol officers Jen Hurley and Zach Perna responded to a burglar alarm at the Wells Fargo drive-through on the corner of Liverpool Avenue and Arago Street at 2:30 a.m. Sunday, according to police. The door to the drive-up teller area had been damaged and someone had entered the building
.

While investigating the burglary, an alarm went off at the Cedar Food Mart on the White Horse Pike. Upon arrival, police found the front door had been smashed, police said.

During the investigation of the Cedar Food Mart, another alarm was dispatched for the Discount City Liquor store. The suspect was seen fleeing from the rear of the store and was quickly apprehended in Lincoln Park, police said.

Contact Michelle Brunetti Post:

609-272-7219

MPost@pressofac.com

@MichelleBPost on Twitter

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