Bergen package-theft suspect posed as Amazon worker

Tenafly police said a 42-year-old New York man accused of posing as an Amazon delivery worker to steal packages from a Bergen County apartment complex was arrested this week after an investigation that began in March 2025. Authorities identified the suspect as Manuel Delacruz of Astoria, New York, and said he was charged with burglary and theft after being taken into custody on Monday, August 3, 2026. Police said the case centered on a series of package thefts at a local apartment building in Tenafly. The suspect allegedly entered the building lobby wearing a face mask and an Amazon delivery vest, then left with unattended parcels. ### Who do police say was arrested, and where was he found? Tenafly police said Manuel Delacruz was identified through surveillance video and what Deputy Chief Michael deMoncada described as “exhaustive investigative techniques” carried out over several months. Authorities said Detective Michael Vecchiarelli developed Delacruz as the suspect in the case. (dailyvoice.com) North Bergen police notified Tenafly officers on Monday morning, August 3, that Delacruz had been arrested on unrelated charges, according to the Daily Voice account citing police. Vecchiarelli then went to North Bergen, took Delacruz into custody and transported him to Tenafly, where the burglary and theft charges were filed, police said. Delacruz was later remanded to the Bergen County Jail. (dailyvoice.com) ### How long had the theft investigation been open? March 2025 was when Tenafly police said they were first alerted to a series of package thefts at the apartment building. Police said the initial reports led investigators to review surveillance footage showing a man in a delivery-style outfit entering the lobby and leaving with packages. (dailyvoice.com) June 2025 and August 2025 brought additional package-theft reports that investigators also linked to Delacruz through video and other evidence, police said. Authorities said the pattern stretched over several months before the case reached a grand jury. ### What made the suspect stand out in the case? (dailyvoice.com) An Amazon delivery vest was one of the details police highlighted in describing how the thefts were allegedly carried out. Investigators said the suspect used the appearance of a delivery worker to enter the building lobby and remove unattended packages without immediately drawing suspicion. (dailyvoice.com) A face mask was also part of the disguise described by police. Authorities did not, in the account cited, say how many packages were ultimately stolen or assign a dollar value to the losses, but they said multiple incidents were tied to the same suspect. ### When did prosecutors formally move the case forward? (dailyvoice.com) September 2025 was when a Bergen County grand jury indicted Delacruz, according to the police account. Authorities said an arrest warrant was issued at that point, months before officers learned he had been taken into custody in North Bergen on unrelated charges. (dailyvoice.com) The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office maintains a public archive of press releases and charging announcements, though the Delacruz case did not appear in the archive pages reviewed for this report. The case details available publicly came from Tenafly police as reported by Daily Voice. ### What did Tenafly police say about the pace of the case? Deputy Chief Michael deMoncada said crimes like these can take months, and in this case more than a year, to resolve. (dailyvoice.com) He said officers would not let “red-tape or procedural delays” keep them from pursuing the investigation and holding those responsible accountable. He also said police hoped victims could obtain some restitution once the criminal case is adjudicated. (bcpo.net) Bergen County Jail is where Delacruz was being held as of the report published on August 5, 2026. The next public milestones in the case are expected to come through Bergen County court proceedings, where the burglary and theft charges will be addressed. (dailyvoice.com)