YouTube Video Leads to Arrest of Two Alleged Burglars

Surveillance video that went viral on YouTube has led to the arrest of two individuals accused of burglarizing two Oxbow Place residences last month.

Ahmet Islami, 20, of Haledon, and his girlfriend, Marjorie Alva, 21, of Elmwood Park, were each charged Friday with two counts of burglary, theft and receiving stolen property.

The couple was seen on video Dec. 3, asking an Oxbow Place resident if they could retrieve a football from the backyard, Wayne Police said. The video was filmed by a home security system. Police released the footage last week that was also posted on YouTube.

Capt. James Clarke said the video received more than 10,000 hits, according to NorthJersey.com.

Police believe the couple burglarized homes by entering through unlocked rear windows where residents didn't answer their doors, according to the NorthJersey.com article.

A second burglary occurred on Oxbow Police on Christmas Eve, police said.

A neighbor of the resident whose home was burglarized that day reported a male and female asked if they could go into his backyard to look for a football. The resident confirmed the two individuals were the same ones seen on the video, police said.

Jewelry was taken from both homes, police said. Islami and Alva sold the items to a Wayne jewelry store on Dec. 3, police said. Some of the jewelry was recovered and identified by the victims of the burglary, police reported.

Municipal court Judge Lawrence Katz set bail at $25,000 each for Islami and Alva. They posted bail and were released late Friday night, police said.

Detectives are continuing the investigation. Anyone with information pertaining to the investigation should call the Detective Bureau at 973-633-3530.

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