Police arrest man accused of vandalizing Clifton food pantry over holiday weekend
Organizers with the Clifton Little Pantry say the pantry outside the Clifton Senior Center on Clifton Avenue was vandalized three separate times between July 2 and July 4, leaving donated food destroyed and the pantry in need of repairs.
More Stories
A community resource that helps feed families in Clifton is recovering after a series of vandalism incidents over the Fourth of July weekend.
Organizers with the Clifton Little Pantry say the pantry outside the Clifton Senior Center on Clifton Avenue was vandalized three separate times between July 2 and July 4, leaving donated food destroyed and the pantry in need of repairs.
"Well, first they said that the food was all strewn and destroyed, and that happened twice, July 2 and on the third, the door was ripped off," said Donna Popowich, co-founder of Clifton Little Free Pantry.
The pantry has served the community for the past two years, offering free food to residents in need.
"The food was all over the ground. What they had done was that they had punctured all the bags. The cans, they stepped on, so they were all dented," Popowich said.
Barbara James, founder of Clifton Little Pantry, pushed back against suggestions that wildlife could have been responsible for the damage.
"People were saying on Facebook to us, 'Oh, well, maybe it was wild animals.' No, no animals don't open jars. Animals don't usually dump their ashtrays in little pantries," James said.
Despite the setback, organizers say the community has rallied around them. Volunteers and supporters have already stepped forward to help repair the damaged pantry, including repainting the cabinet and replacing the broken door.
"I'm angry at whoever did this. I'm angry at the whole reason this happened," James said.
Clifton police say the vandalism appears to be part of a larger pattern of random incidents in the area.
According to investigators, a resident reported on July 1 that two tires on a 2024 Land Rover Range Rover, each valued at approximately $800, had been slashed on June 30 by an unknown man. The following day, police received a report that food items at a donation site on the City Hall complex had been intentionally damaged after a man removed donated goods from an outdoor cabinet and threw them onto the ground, rendering many items unusable.
Detectives determined the same person was responsible for both incidents and linked him to several other reports of minor thefts and vandalism in the area.
Police identified the suspect as Joshua Giles, 26, of Clifton. A warrant was issued for his arrest on July 7, charging him with fourth-degree criminal mischief in connection with the tire-slashing incident. He was taken into custody later that evening and transported to the Passaic County Sheriff's Office Corrections Hub pending a court appearance.
Authorities say additional charges are expected as detectives continue investigating the food pantry vandalism and other criminal mischief and theft cases.
Police emphasized that the incidents appear to have been random.
While the investigation continues, pantry organizers say they remain committed to their mission.
"I just hope this guy was working independently. I hope this had nothing to do with the issues with the city," said Popowich.
"We're not going anywhere. We're determined," James said.
