Walter P. Preiss

By Cecilia Levine From Daily Voice

A Wayne man was arrested after police said a bullet was found lodged in a neighbor’s central air conditioning unit on Monday, Oct. 27.

Walter P. Preiss, 58, is accused of firing a bullet into his Longwood Court neighbor's home from his basement window, Detective Capt. Dan Daly said in a news release.

A report of a bullet found inside the neighbor's outdoor condenser brought Wayne officer Jonathon Giannotte to the scene just before 5:40 p.m., Monday, Daly said. The resident and HVAC technicians showed officers where the bullet had penetrated the exterior unit, police said.

Detective Sgt. Mark Ciavirella and Detective Nick Henriquez requested assistance from the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, which determined the bullet came from the basement window of the neighboring home, police said. Detectives learned that Preiss had been involved in prior disputes that had been escalating, Daly said.

Preiss initially told officers he had no firearms in the home. A later search turned up multiple long guns and evidence indicating a firearm had been discharged from the basement window, according to police.

Preiss was charged with possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and criminal mischief, police said. He was charged on a complaint warrant and taken to the Passaic County Jail Intake Hub pending a detention hearing.