By: Richard L. Smith
A Hillside man was arrested early this morning after he was caught burglarizing the Kush Smoke Shop on Route 22 in Union Township.
Police officials said at 5:07 a.m., officers responded to a report of a break-in and found the front door shattered. Inside, they spotted Hasan Williams-Chapman, 38, attempting to flee.
He was detained and found with cash stolen from the shop and a large garbage bag filled with $1,700 worth of vapes and other merchandise.
Williams-Chapman reportedly broke several window panes with a rock before entering the store successfully.
During the burglary, he also damaged the cash register. The suspect was charged with burglary, theft, and criminal mischief and is being held at the Union County Jail awaiting his court appearance.
Detectives linked Williams-Chapman to similar burglaries, including a break-in at a nearby Burger King and two other incidents at the same smoke shop in August
Authorities are working with neighboring police departments to investigate additional crimes along the Route 22 corridor, as he matches the description of suspects involved in similar cases in Hillside and Springfield.