What's Wackier: A Camera in the Bathroom, or Horses on the Highway?
Police say a man hid a cell phone with a camera in a bathroom tissue box.
Ever use your phone in the bathroom? That's sort of icky.
But don't worry too much—Montclair police say you've been out-icked.
They arrested a 26-year-old man on invasion of privacy charges Tuesday after he allegedly left his phone—with its camera—tucked inside a tissue box in the women's bathroom of an A&P.
A female employee noticed the tissue box, with a small hole in it, on the top of the toilet tank, police said.
OMG, that is I-C-K-Y.
Each Monday, Patch takes a peek at some of the more surprising, shocking, stunning and occasionally silly police-related incidents reported throughout New Jersey for "OMGs from NJ PDs." Some of the other reports:
- Cops Had It Under Control? Of Course, of Course: Eighteen escaped horses from Watchung Stables in Mountainside were rounded up by Union County police the morning of Jan. 16. The largest horse escape in the 80-year history of the stables (apparently, there are people who track that sort of thing) occurred after the animals all got spooked, though no one seems to know exactly what frightened them. The horses ran from the stables to Summit Lane before making a right on to Summit Road, and headed two miles toward Route 22 West. No one's confirmed any report that the lead horse was heard neighing "recalculating" in a voice that sounded suspiciously like Allan "Rocky" Lane.
- Thank You, Come Again, But Without the Gun, Please: A Mullica Hill man allegedly entered a West Deptford truck stop early Jan. 16, brandishing a gun and demanding money from an employee. His plan was foiled, police say, when the employee recognized the Mullica Hill man as a former truck stop coworker. Police were there scarcely 20 minutes later, and the employee who'd found himself on the wrong end of the gun (arguably, they were both on the wrong ends of the gun) told the officers who they should be looking for.
- Gas Prices Are So High, It's Practically Criminal: Practically, but not technically. You know what will get you in hot water with the law, though? Having an outstanding warrant. Lawrence Township police say a Jackson Township man drew attention to himself when he refused to pay the last $10 of a $30 charge to fill up his tank, and police found he was wanted by authorities on warrants out of West Windsor and Ewing.He ultimately paid $550 in bail—and the remaining $10 for the gas.
- OK, You've Got My Attention: All she wanted to do was to talk to a cop. But when a woman driving in Toms River hit the brakes to talk to an officer who was waiting to cross the street, she was rear-ended by the vehicle behind her, police say. The officer wound up directing the cars safely out of the road.
- He Needed a Fall Guy: A Parsippany DPW worker reportedly told police two men pulled him from his township vehicle, robbed him, and pushed him to the ground. But police say it never happened. They say the DPW worker simply fell from the vehicle, hit his head and made up the whole story to avoid getting in trouble with his boss.
- Yelling "Fire" In a Crowded Heater: New Jersey law says you're not supposed to have a kerosene heater in any residential dwelling. Good judgment says you're not supposed to put gasoline into said illegal kerosene heater. But Maplewood's fire department (OK, this one's from an FD, not a PD) says one resident heeded neither—and the predictable fire resulted. But the resident thought quickly afterward, and battled the blaze with his home fire extinguisher. He had it out just as the fire department arrived.