This past weekend, a local resident named Troy went viral on TikTok in a video detailing a break-in at his Montclair home. In the video, user @hiscrookedhalo described a terrifying situation in which around 11:30PM, as he and his eldest daughter watched a movie in the living room, an intruder entered his sliding backdoor. The intruder walked away with $180 from the victim’s wallet. See the video below.
@hiscrookedhalo ***STORYTIME*** Hey Montclair, New Jersey & surrounding towns… be careful out there!! #Montclair #NewJersey #besafe ♬ original sound – hiscrookedhalo
After catching the intruder in the kitchen, Troy chased the suspect for quite some time until he headed back home to ensure the safety of his two daughters. Troy and his children were not physically harmed in any way.
According to the video, the Montclair Police Department quickly arrived on the scene to investigate. Officer Seyfried of MPD is quoted as saying that this sort of breaking and entering is a “daily occurrence, happening all the time in Montclair.” It’s unclear at this time if the intruder has been caught.
In the comments, one TikTok user offered some advice for anyone in a similar situation, sharing, “Never leave the kids alone no matter how much you want to chase. There may have been a second intruder. Thx for posting. Your neighbor in Clifton.”
Ultimately, Troy hopes that his video will serve as a warning to Montclair residents + residents of neighboring communities — and a reminder to always “lock your doors.”
