Woman angry at utility worker, leaves her suspended in lift

Police in Bergen County say that a woman got angry at a cable TV utility worker and left her stranded in the air.
Police say the dispute started in Ridgewood on Monday between a woman and an Optimum employee. The dispute was about where the Optimum truck was parked, according to Ridgewood Police Capt. William Amoruso.
The 59-year-old woman turned off the worker’s truck while she was up in the lift, stranding her in midair, according to police.
Amoruso says that the irate woman then took door hangers out of the truck before walking away and leaving the worker stranded.
A spokesperson for Optimum says in a statement, “Our employees work very hard to provide our customers with the best service and it is incredibly unfortunate that an individual would try to harm one of our employees while on the job. The safety of our employees is our number one priority and we are pleased our employee was not harmed as a result of this incident.”
The woman was charged with harassment, false imprisonment, disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing.
She was released from custody with a pending court date.
Optimum is owned by Altice USA - the parent company of News 12 New Jersey.
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the cable worker was male.
The Associated Press wire services contributed to this report.