HACKENSACK, N.J. – A Hackensack landscaper has been arrested in connection with two residential burglaries, including one where a 13-year-old girl awoke to find the suspect inside her bedroom, police announced Thursday.
According to the Hackensack Police Department, 45-year-old Armando Echevarria was taken into custody after officers identified him through city surveillance systems and an automated license plate reader. The arrest followed a break-in reported Tuesday morning at a two-family home on Union Street.
Police said Echevarria entered the unlocked front door of the apartment around 10:39 a.m. and began searching through rooms before being confronted by the young girl, who was asleep at the time. Startled, Echevarria fled the residence with two 18-carat gold necklaces valued at several thousand dollars.
Investigators later stopped a black Kia Soul matching surveillance footage, recovering gloves and a pry bar from the vehicle’s front seat. Echevarria was charged with burglary, theft, and possession of burglar tools.
Detective Matthew DeBonis also linked Echevarria to a separate November 15 burglary a few blocks away, where jewelry was stolen after entry through a bedroom window. Additional burglary and theft charges were filed, and Echevarria was remanded to the Bergen County Jail pending court proceedings.
Police emphasized that all charges are accusations and Echevarria is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.