Linden Police announced the arrest of a 41-year-old Newark man accused of burglarizing an Essex Avenue home.
Officers responded to Franklin Drive on a report of a suspicious man going door to door ringing doorbells.
Upon arrival, officers were directed to nearby Jersey Lanes where they discovered Merino coming out of the men’s room.
While one officer was questioning him, another officer went into the bathroom where he discovered a plastic shopping bag in a stall which contained a pillow case filled with cash and jewelry.
Merino was found to have a contempt warrant out of Hillside Twp. and was placed under arrest.
Detectives arrived on the scene and found a name in the bag which belonged to a resident on Essex Avenue.
When police arrived at the home, they found a broken glass pane in a front door and several rooms which appeared to have been ransacked.
Through their investigation, they were later able to link Merino to the burglary.
Merino, of Newark, was charged with burglary, theft, and criminal mischief and was being held on $75,000 bail at the Union County Jail pending a court date of March 23rd.