A man allegedly living in a unit at a self-storage facility in Linden, N.J., has been charged with breaking into other units on the property to steal electronics. The manager of American Self Storage, 1051 Edward St., told police last week several tenants had reported items missing from their units. The manager also said one of the tenants, Dennis A. Depack, 42, had been sleeping in a unit he rented, Linden Police Captain James Sarnicki told the source.
According to police, Depack would wait until the facility closed, then climb above the storage unit and maneuver through the burglar bars, which are the galvanized hat channels that provide security for the space above the top of the hallway system or unit partitions. Depack would then cut the wire netting to gain access to the units, Sarnicki said. Once inside, he zeroed in on any electronics in the unit, such as flat-screen TVs and computers. Next, he removed the door lock from inside the unit so he could escape, then relocked it from the outside.
Police said Depack also reversed the door lock on the unit he rented so he could lock it from the inside. Following his arrest, police found stolen items in Depacks unit, Sarnicki said. Depack was charged with two counts of burglary, two counts of theft and possession of burglary tools. Hes being held on a $40,000 bail and could face additional charges.
American Self Storage has several locations in New Jersey and New York. According to the companys website, the facilities have individual alarms monitored by a security system. The facilities are open every day.
Sources:
- American Self Storage: Website: American Self Storage
- N.J.com: Police: Man Living Inside Storage Unit Stole From Other Lockers After-Hours
