Man Charged in String of Essex County Burglaries Reportedly a Suspect in Ridgewood Office Theft

A man arrested in Irvington for possession of a stolen van containing stolen property has been linked to numerous burglaries and thefts of medical offices around Essex County and may be responsible for one in Ridgewood as well, Caldwell Police Det. Sgt. Anthony Marta said Wednesday.

Joseph Council, 48, was arrested by Irvington police on Saturday, April 23 for possession of a van belonging to the New Jersey State Occupational Center in Bloomfield. Council's last known address is in Newark.

Items found in the van belonged to victims in Verona which led Marta and Det. Michael Harrington of the Verona Police to investigate Council as a suspect in recent thefts in their towns.

Marta said a mug shot from the Essex County Correctional Facility, where Council is in custody, was found to resemble surveillance video from a theft which took place at 526 Bloomfield Ave., in Caldwell earlier that month. 

Marta said during an in-depth interview Council admitted to breaking into the office of Avalon, A Center for Women’s Health, on Saturday, April 2 and taking electronics and cash valued at approximately $2,000.

During the interview, Council told police he was also responsible for similar incidents in Verona, Roseland, West Orange, South Orange, Millburn and Newark, Marta said.

Caldwell Police charged Council with two counts of burglary, four counts of attempted burglary, four counts of criminal mischief, seven counts of theft, and possession of burglary tools for two screwdrivers and a crowbar discovered in the stolen van.

One of the owners of Avalon notified police at 5:40 p.m. on April 2 when she arrived at the building to find the second-floor medical office had been burglarized and that items had been taken.

Surveillance video shows a silver Chevy Cavalier enter the parking lot of the office building and one man in a light gray hoodie exit the car. The second occupant remained in the car and could not be made out on the video.

Marta said the front doors to the building were unlocked since many of the doctors keep hours on Saturdays. According to Marta, Council attempted to enter four other offices before successfully breaking a glass interior window and entering the midwives' office.

In addition to incidents in seven Essex towns, Council is a suspect for thefts to medical offices in Union, Springfield, Secaucus and Ridgewood, police said.

An office on in late March with cash taken. Village detectives as well as the Bergen County Sheriff's Department investigated but no arrests were been made.

The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, which is handling the investigation, confirmed Wednesday that Council is currently in custody at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark.