By: Tracie Carter
Driscoll Foods, a local business in Wayne, recently faced a series of late-night burglaries at their facilities.
In response to these incidents, the company coordinated with the Wayne Police Department to establish a special detail of officers to monitor their premises during the overnight hours.
Police said on the evening of November 11th, 2023, at around 10:30 p.m., Wayne Police Officer Pat Wlazel and Detective Nick Henriquez were on duty and observed a vehicle slowly passing by the Driscoll Foods facility.
Shortly after, they noticed an individual dressed in dark clothing navigating through the parking lot toward the building.
These vigilant officers promptly notified their on-duty counterparts, including Wayne Police Officers Billy Hall, Nicole Mott, Matt Bernardo, and Lieutenant Lex Deluccia, who positioned themselves nearby.
The suspicious individual remained out of sight for some time before reemerging from the facility, pushing a pallet jack laden with boxes of steaks.
Officers took immediate action, apprehending the suspect, identified as Daquan S. Hinton, a 40-year-old resident of Paterson.
Subsequent investigation revealed that Mr. Hinton gained unauthorized entry to the facility by accessing a bay door and had additional pallets strategically staged for a return trip.
The food items he attempted to pilfer were estimated to be worth over $3,000.
Additionally, his vehicle, which was found parked nearby, had its license plates obscured by paper. A search of Mr. Hinton's person uncovered his possession of Alprazolam.
As a result of his actions, Mr. Hinton has been charged with Burglary, Theft, and Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance. Following due processing, he was released on a summons in accordance with bail reform guidelines.
It is important to remember that these charges against Mr. Hinton are mere accusations, and he is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law.