Oaklyn Man Charged in Daytime Collingswood Burglaries

Thanks to some shoe leather detective work and a red-handed opportunity, Collingswood Police put the cuffs on a pair of men who reportedly confessed to at least two daylight burglaries in the borough last week.

Police say that Eric Bush, 21, of Carney's Point, NJ, and Joseph Larney, 23, of Oaklyn, were working a two-man operation: Bush would knock on doors during workday hours, while Larney played lookout in the car. They communicated via a pair of walkie-talkies.

"They would drive around, pick a house," said Det. Sgt. Guy DeRitis. "One guy would go knock on the door, and if no one answered, he would go back in the car to get the gloves and the walkie-talkie and go back in the house."

Police say the first burglary happened between 6 and 6:50 p.m. on June 3 in the 1000 block of Magill Ave. During those 50 minutes and with the homeowner away, police say the home was ransacked, with jewelry and money taken. Police say the two broke in a back window and entered the rear door of the home.

Then on Tuesday, June 4, Bush and Larney allegedly burglarized a home in the 700 block of Merrick Ave. sometime during the workday, making off with flatscreen televisions, laptops, jewelry and a 50-piece set of silverware.

After the Tuesday burglary, Collingswood Detectives Frank Lee and Bill Lyons went on patrol throughout the borough, looking for suspicious activity during workday hours.

Around 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 6, they saw a car stopped in the 700 block of Linwood Ave. with Larney sitting in the passenger seat.

Police said that Bush, who was up on the porch, turned and walked down towards the car when they drove by. Lee and Lyons interviewed the pair, and discovered gloves and walkie-talkies in the car.

During the course of the interview, Bush and Larney reportedly confessed to the break-ins at the Magill and Merrick homes as well as to the attempted burglary on Linwood Ave.

Bush was charged with two counts of burglary, two counts of theft, one count of criminal attempt burglary and two counts of conspiracy to commit burglary. He was sent to the Camden County correctional facility in default of $15,000 full-cash bail.

Larney was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit burglary and possession of a controlled dangerous substance. A search of his home resulted in the recovery of what police believe to be marijuana and possession of Percoce without a prescription. 

He was sent to the Camden County correctional facility in default of $10,000 full-cash bail.

Collingswood police were able to recover a lot of the stolen property from Bush's home in Carney's Point, but also had to travel to cash-for-gold stores in Media, PA, and Runnemede, NJ, to get back the silverware and jewelry.

DeRitis said that police also believe that Bush and Larney may be wanted in several other burglaries in other jurisdictions, including Runnemede and possibly Woolwich Twp.