By Maddy Vitale
The Sea Isle City Police Department is seeking the identity of a woman caught on camera apparently taking a decorative lantern from a table on a residential porch.
The suspect was seen on home security footage dated Jan. 6 near 4 p.m. taking the item. The images were posted on the Police Department’s Facebook page.
Police Chief Tom McQuillen said the stolen item, described as a multi-colored lantern, was reported missing to police on Jan. 8.
Since then, police have been seeking information from the public about the incident and who may have taken the home furnishing.
“We would encourage anybody who may know the person to provide us with the person’s name so we can investigate it further,” McQuillen said.
While it is not a major incident, the department is taking it seriously because someone entered someone else’s porch and took something that did not belong to them.
“We don’t know why the person did it, but we certainly would like to know more,” McQuillen said. “We are asking everybody to take a good look at the video and if they think they know the person to contact Detective Sgt. (William) Bradshaw and help us get this property back.”
He said police want to speak to the person who took the lantern to find out more – specifically – why.
“We want to find out who they are and see where the property is. We want to make sure there isn’t some misunderstanding,” he noted. “Maybe it was just sitting there, the person saw it and fell in love with it. We just don’t know.”
McQuillen said fortunately the it appears to be an isolated incident. There have been no other reports of stolen items off properties in the city recently.
Above all, residents should feel safe and know their property is not going to be taken from them.
“We all have this belief that we live in a perfect society, and when someone does something like this, it kind of cuts into that,” McQuillen added. “You put something on your front porch that is decorative, and you think it will be safe there. It is a senseless incident. That is the frustrating part.”
Anyone who knows the suspect is encouraged to contact Detective Sgt. William Bradshaw at (609)263-4311 ext. 2302 or by email wbradshaw@police.seaislecitynj.us
