Englewood

Copper thieves raid local synagogue

By Denis Niland and Cristina Kumka
Suburbanite | April 29

Police arrested two Newark men April 25 charging them with stealing thousands of dollars worth of copper from a local synagogue that is under construction.

Police said David Halls, 19, and Iran Salmon, 29, cut copper pipes from a Broad Avenue building, which is being built for congregation Ahavath Torah, twice last week.

The men attempted to make off with about $8,000 of stolen copper and police said they believe the men may have returned for more if they weren’t caught by an attentive officer.

Halls and Salmon admitted to stealing the copper from the Englewood site after Officer John Peterson pulled their car over last Friday night on Palisade Avenue, according to Detective Capt. Steven Sabo.

Peterson reported that the car, missing a license plate light, was traveling down the street low to the ground, as if something was weighing down the trunk.

"I was at the right place at the right time," Peterson said.

Peterson found freshly cut copper pipes in the car as well as wire cutters, a crow bar and other suspected burglary tools, police said.

The high-priced metal has been disappearing from construction sites in and around the city for the past couple months but police could not catch those responsible for the sporadic crimes, until last week.

The men are also believed to be responsible for copper thefts in Hackensack, Sabo said.

Police said they are investigating a possible connection the men have to other copper thefts from construction sites in Englewood, a reoccurring crime trend in the city.

For the synagogue thefts, Halls and Salmon were charged with burglary, theft, possession of burglary tools and criminal mischief and jailed in lieu of $125,000 bail as of last week.

Salmon was additionally charged with weapons possession and armed burglary after he was found in possession of a 7-inch folding knife, Sabo said.

E-mail: kumka@northjersey.com or call 201-894-6705