Two $100K Bails for Accused Wetmore Ave. Burglar

Prosecutors say a Morristown man attempted to rob a Wetmore Avenue house Wednesday, minutes after leaving the Morris County Courthouse on other charges.

Eugene Hayes, 39, of Morristown, was arrested and charged Sept. 14 with burglary and is currently being held in the Morris County Correctional Facility on two separate $100,000 bails, set by State Superior Court Judge Thomas V. Manahan Friday afternoon. In setting the two bails, Manahan revoked any previous bails that had been set for Hayes.

On Friday, Assistant Prosecutor Amy Mastrosimone said Hayes—already in court Wednesday morning for Sept. 8 charges of theft with a credit card and burglary out of Hanover Township—“left court and immediately perpetrated this crime.”

Police say Hayes has an extensive criminal record, with pending charges in Morristown, Morris Township and Hanover Township. He was arrested and charged Wednesday after Morristown Police , police said.

Police said they also are exploring whether Hayes is connected

Morristown, specifically, “has been slammed with burglaries this summer,” the assistant prosecutor told the judge. “The community is outraged at this point.”

Mastrosimone said in court Friday that Hayes had informed a police officer that he had planned on moving to Maryland, making him a “flight risk.”

Hayes, who spoke by phone from the correctional facility during the bail hearing, told the judge, “I've never been a flight risk. I've always made my court appearances. I've always faced everything I was supposed to face.

"I do have kids, I do have a wife, I need to let them know," he said. "I have a funeral I have to go to. I have family on the street."

Hayes also said during the hearing to his public defender, Balin Baidwan, that he wanted to see him this week, because he “wants to press charges against police that choked me.”

“Let Mr. Baidwan do his job,” Manahan said, on multiple occasions, to Hayes.

When asked about the accusations, Morristown Police Capt. Steven Sarinelli said no accusations had yet been brought to the police, but any such accusations would be handled appropriately.

The two separate $100,000 bails set Friday carry no 10 percent options. A follow-up court date for the new charges has not yet been set.

Morris County Prosecutor Robert A. Bianchi, in a statement sent to Patch after the bail hearing, credited local law enforcement and his own office for targeting burglaries.

"This office has taken significant steps for years to address the burglary issue in this county. The Morris County Prosecutor's Burglary Crime Task Force, which works alongside every local police agency in the county, has resulted in numerous arrests such as this and has been hugely successful in coordinating intelligence and making significant arrests countywide," he said.

"In this case, Mr. Hayes is alleged to have committed numerous burglaries in multiple towns and was a person of interest for some time by this and many other local agencies," the prosecutor continued. "Undoubtedly law enforcement's proactive investigation, arrest and subsequent prosecution will make the citizens of many towns in this county safer. The Morristown Police Department should specifically be commended for their efforts in making this arrest and for ultimately bringing this alleged persistent offender to justice. Their increased patrols and investigation led to capturing the offender allegedly in the act of committing another burglary."