WAYNE, NJ — A man was arrested after a bullet was found lodged in a neighbor’s air conditioning unit on Longwood Court.
Wayne Police Officer Jonathon Giannotte responded to the residence at approximately 5:39 p.m. on Oct. 27 for a report of a bullet found inside a central air conditioning unit.
Upon arrival, the resident and HVAC technicians showed where an apparent bullet had penetrated the central air conditioning condenser unit on the exterior side of the home.
Wayne Police Detective Sergeant Mark Ciavirella and Detective Nick Henriquez responded to the scene.
They requested the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit to process the scene.
The CSI Unit conducted a gunshot trajectory analysis which indicated that the bullet had come from the basement window of the house next door.
Detectives learned that the resident of the house next door had been involved in prior neighbor disputes which had been escalating.
They approached the resident and inquired if he had any firearms in the house to which he responded he did not.
A search of the home located multiple long guns and evidence that indicated a firearm had been discharged from the basement window in question.
Walter P. Preiss, 58, of Wayne, was charged with possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and criminal mischief.
He was charged on a complaint warrant and transported to the Passaic County Jail Intake Hub pending a detention hearing.
