Wallington Police: Burglars Of Off-Duty Officer's Car Had Heroin, Weapons

WALLINGTON, N.J. -- A Teaneck man and his Sussex County companion chose the wrong car to try to break into, authorities said: It belonged to an off-duty police officer.

Rodino B. Punla, David James Washer
Photo Credit: *MUGSHOTS: Courtesy BERGEN COUNTY SHERIFF*

Jerry DeMarco

05/19/2016 10:59 a.m.

An alert was issued for a getaway car -- a silver Acura -- just after 3 a.m. Wednesday, Detective Lt. Shawn Kudlacik said.

Seconds later, Officer Brian Rosas pulled it over at Alden and Mount Pleasant avenues, he said.

The off-duty officer responded and identified the pair: Rodino B. Punla, 26, of Teaneck, who Kudlacik said was driving the getaway car, and 31-year-old David James Washer of Newton.

Police discovered several items in the Acura stolen from other area vehicles -- among them, two iPads and credit cards -- as well as 126 folds of heroin, a crack pipe, a syringe, a BB gun and a military-style rescue knife.

Punla and Washer were being held on $7,500 bail each in the Bergen County Jail, charged with burglary, theft and various drug and weapons possession counts.

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