Tony Smith, 46, is being held on $125,000 bond
Tony Smith (Essex County Correctional Facility)NEWARK - An Elizabeth man has been charged in connection with a string of burglaries in the city's East Ward.
Tony Smith, 46, was arrested at his home, where Newark police were waiting for him when he arrived Sunday morning, Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a statement.
Authorities had focused their investigation on Smith after a detective spotted a part of his license plate as he sped away from one of the six burglaries.
After a painstaking process of researching "every possible combination" on the plate to match it to the make and model of the vehicle, they were able to obtain a warrant for his arrest, according to Ambrose.
Smith was booked into the Essex County Jail, where he remained held on $125,000 bond as of Sunday night.
An investigation into the string of break-ins remains active, and additional charges may still be filed.
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