Police Blotter June 2008

 Jun 20, 2008

Police Blotter

The official start of the silly season began when the Public Works Department reported to Township Police on May 16 that someone had broken into six buildings at Skillman Village, prying plywood sheets from doors and windows. Nothing was reported missing from the buildings, but about $450 worth of chain was stolen from roads near Larocque Circle.

A Sycamore Lane resident reported on May 16, the theft of a cell phone and iPod from his residence. He noticed they were missing during March, but thought they had been misplaced until he received his cell phone bill, which had several unexplained calls. There was no sign of forced entry. The Detective Bureau is following up.

That same day, a Norfolk Way resident reported that someone stole a pocketbook, GPS unit, and a backpack from two unlocked vehicles parked in his driveway overnight. The purse contained $300, a NJ driver's license, credit cards and other personal items. The backpack contained an iPod. The total value of the stolen items was more than $400.

Beer banditos removed a 12-pack of beer, valued at $9, from the garage of a Griggstown Rd., sometime overnight on May 16.

Loose gravel on the roadway caused a 40-year-old Boothwyn, PA motorcyclist to lose control of his bike on Rt. 601 near Reading Blvd on May 17. He suffered minor cuts and bruises but declined treatment at the scene.

Pickpockets stole credit cards from two handbags placed on seats at the Montgomery Cinema. The victims went to a restaurant after the movie and discovered the cards missing when they tried paying for their meals. They immediately notified their credit card companies and discovered that numerous purchases had already been made at area electronic stores, gas stations and eateries. The Detective Bureau is investigating.

They'll remember this wedding for a long time: Fire Company #2, MEMS, and Township Police were sent to the Bedensbrook Country Club on May 17 when a fire alarm was activated along with the sprinkler system. Arriving Emergency Services discovered that a wedding had just ended and that guests had been handed sparklers to see off the bride and groom, hopefully, not to be flung as a substitute for handfuls of rice. Due to rainy weather, one of the guests lit sparklers inside the lobby, which activated the alarm and sprinkler system. Startled, he dropped the burning sparklers onto a table containing even more sparklers, which ignited also. Some of the wedding guests then dragged the flaming table outside into the rain, causing minor damage to the table and hardwood floor. The guest who lit the sparklers to begin with suffered burns to his hand and was taken to UMCP by another guest. Charges of possession of fireworks are pending.

A 51-year-old Township man was arrested on May 18 by Officer Perry for an outstanding warrant following a traffic stop on Montgomery Rd. The driver was found to have a suspended driver's license and a warrant from Middlesex County. He was turned over to officers from the Middlesex County Sheriffs Dept.
Township Police and MEMS responded to a collision between a car and two bicyclists on May 21 at the corner of Hollow Road and Grandview. A 33-year-old Yardley, PA driver was turning left from Grandview onto Hollow, when he struck the two cyclists, a 35-year old Plainsboro man and a 54-year-Pennington man. Both were thrown from the bikes and injured. They were taken to UMCP, and the driver was ticketed for careless driving.

The winner of the arch-criminal-of the-month was a 21-year-old Hillsborough man who pulled up next to soda machine at the gas station on the corner of Rt. 518 and Rt. 206 on May 21. He requested change for the machine, and when the attendant took out cash from his pocket, tried to grab the money. The attendant held onto the cash, but when the robber pulled out a knife, gave up the money, estimated at $180. The thief then headed north on Rt. 206 in a red pickup truck. North – toward the police station in a red truck -- traveling at what witnesses said was a high rate of speed, and at times crossing the double yellow lines, and at others passing on the right. Township officers attempted to follow him, but lost sight of him at the Hillsborough border. Hillsborough officers had better luck, spotted him on East Mountain Road, and held him for arriving Montgomery officers. He was held in County lockup unable to post $100,000 bail.

A 28-year-old Philadelphia man, seen talking on a cell phone while driving on Rt. 518, was found to also be holding pot under 50 grams after arresting officers detected the odor of burning marijuana on May 27. Officer Clifford also found a glass pipe in the vehicle. The driver was ticketed for using a cell phone while driving and possession of CDS in a vehicle.

Township officers arrested a 53-year Princeton woman for DWI on May 27 after her car struck a parked vehicle as she attempted to park in the Montgomery Shopping Center.. She failed a field sobriety test after Officer Perry detected the odor of alcohol on her and was taken to MTPD HQ, with tickets for DUI and careless driving.

Someone removed plywood sheets from a window and a door at two buildings at Skillman Village over Memorial Day Weekend. Nothing else was removed, but damage was estimated at $100 for each building.

Township officers arrested an 18-year-old Bridgewater man after a traffic stop on May 28 for an object dangling from his rear view mirror. The driver admitted to Officer Gray that he had a 30-pack of beer in the trunk of his car. He was arrested for possession of alcoholic beverages while underage, and operating a vehicle with obstructed view.

The passenger of a car stopped on May 28 was arrested after he was seen not wearing a seatbelt. He was also found to have an outstanding warrant from Newark Municipal Court.

A Pine Brae Dr. resident reported on May 28, that someone entered his unlocked car overnight and stole a GPS device, valued at $150.

Township officers arrested a 39-year-old Piscataway man on May 29 after responding to an unrelated animal complaint at a construction site off Rt. 206. Officers spoke to the man, ran a check, and found him to have outstanding warrants from Newark, Westfield, Little Egg Harbor, and Secaucus Municipal Courts.

A car and a motorcycle collided on May 30 with predictable results after a 51-year-old Skillman woman backed out of her driveway into the path of a 25 year old Plainsboro man, westbound on Pine Brae Court, near Rt. 518. He was thrown from his bike, sustaining shoulder and leg injuries. MEMS took him to UMCP, and she was arrested for an outstanding warrant from Elizabeth, NJ. Both car and bike had to be towed away.

Someone broke into a shed containing landscaping equipment at Trap Rock, taking various things worth about $1,400. It was reported on May 30.

A 51-year-old Skillman man and his wife were both treated for cuts after colliding with a deer on Rt. 601 on June 1. Bambi went into their windshield, shattering it completely. The car was towed.

A two-car accident on June 2 resulted in three persons taken to UMCP after a 24-year old Princeton woman rear ended a car on southbound on Rt. 206 at Montgomery Ave, stopped in traffic waiting to turn left onto Montgomery. The 24-year-old driver complained of head and lower back injuries, and her two passengers a minor injuries from seat restraints. She was also ticketed for careless driving.

A 24-year-old Jacksonville FL woman reported on June 2 that someone stole cash from her unattended pocketbook while she was at a reunion party at a home on Rolling Hill Road on May 17.

Someone stole a metallic delivery ramp from a Rt. 518 restaurant sometime over the weekend of May 30.

Two Long Island men were arrested for possession of CDS paraphernalia and pot under 50 grams after the driver was stopped for tailgating on Rt. 206 by Officer Gray. Officer Gray noted a marijuana seed on the dashboard, and a search revealed two baggies of pot, a joint, and a grinder. The driver was released with a ticket for following too closely, and for CDS in a motor vehicle.

Three more buildings at Skillman Village were entered sometime between May 27 and June 4, when Public Works personnel discovered damaged windows. It cost the Township $300 to secure the buildings. Enough already.

Someone egged two buildings on Hoover Avenue, along with three cars on June 8. A Taft Court resident reported that her home was also egged that same night. No monetary damage reported.

Where would we be without our mailbox knuckleheads? Among the many reported were two mailboxes on Muirhead Court, damaged on June 8 when they were knocked off their posts. Total cost to repair was estimated at $150.

Someone illegally dumped refuse at the Millpond Park dumpster. It was found by Township employees and reported on June 9

An Elm Drive resident reported on June 10 that someone spray painted red lines on their lawn overnight.
A Blue Spring Rd resident found a small amount of yellow paint smeared on the rear bumper of her car on June 10. Damage was estimated at $150.

Bicycle vs. parked truck: truck wins. A 62-year-old Princeton man pedaling down Kingston-River Rd near Blue Spring momentarily looked down and didn't see a parked truck, which he cycled into. He suffered a contusion on his left elbow, but refused medical assistance. No summonses issued.

On June 11, a 31-year-old Edison man reported that the driver in a black pick-up truck ahead of his backed into him while they were stopped at Rt. 518 east of Rt.206. A third car had been backing into a driveway, and the pickup truck was backing up to give him space, but fled the scene afterward. No injuries were reported.

Residents on Sleepy Hollow Lane reported seeing a Sears home delivery van strike a tree, severely damaging the truck, and leaving a big chunk of tree in the roadway. A call by MTPD to Sears determined the identity of the driver, a 25-year-old Trenton man, who turned himself in. The truck had a gaping hole six feet long along the side. He was ticketed for careless driving, leaving the scene, and failing to report an accident.

Someone burglarized a Skillman Rd. home on June 15 sometime between 8:30 am and 11:45 am. Jewelry, coins and a credit card were taken. Hopefully, this isn't the start of a trend.

MTDP, Hillsborough Police, Hillsborough Volunteer Fire Dept., Hillsborough EMS, and MEMS responded to a car fire on Willow Rd. on June 16, at 3:32 am. The driver smelled burning gasoline, looked under the hood, and saw that the engine was on fire. The car, a 1999 Saab, was fully in flames. There were no injuries.

Managers of an Executive Drive reported on June 19, that someone stole business files from an office sometime between May 29 and June 2.

Police Blotter _ JULY/AUG 2008

 Aug 15, 2008

Police Blotter

Township Police responded to a reported of suspicious persons along the walking path behind appltly named Ketchun Rd. on June 20 and found the persons near the bridge on the path. They scarpered, but five 18-year-old males and one juvenile were caught and charged with possession of under 50 grams of maurijuana and drug paraphernalia. Three were from Belle Mead, one from Skillman, and one from Rocky Hill.

A Brookline Court resident reported on June 21 that some keyed her car, with damage estimated at $3,000.
Township officers arrested a 20-year-old Clark woman after she says she ran off the road, northbound on Rt. 206 near Platz Drive at 5:03 am on June 20, while avoiding hitting an animal. Her car struck a pole and she suffered cuts to her arms and legs, and a possible head injury. She was taken to Somerset Medical Center with tickets for DWI, underage DWI, consumption of alcoholic beverage in a motor vehicle, careless driving, and underaged possession of alcoholic beverages. Ouch. That must have been some animal.

What can we say about dialing-while-driving that hasn’t already been said? Just ask an 18-year-old Township driver who went off the road on Rt. 518 in front of the Elks Club and struck a telephone pole while fiddling with her cell phone on June 23. Her car had to be towed, and she went home with a ticket for careless driving. Can you hear me now?

Or changing CD’s while driving, for that matter. A 17-year-old Belle Mead driver tried that one on June 20, drifted out of the southbound lane in front of Burnt Hill Rd. near MUMS, and hit a pole. He was taken to UMCP with lacerations and a careless driving ticket, and the car was towed.

Someone did $4,000 damage to two pine trees at the 11th hole at the Cherry Valley Country Club by drilling holes in along the base and pouring in an unknown liquid. It was reported on June 20.

Township Police responded to a domestic disturbance at a home in the Princeton section of the Township on June 24 and found that the subject of the disturbance had left the house. He was located at the intersection of Blue Spring Road and River Road, but resisted arrest when officers attempted to take him into custody after discovering that he had outstanding warrants from South Plainfield and Berkely Heights. He was also charged with resisting arrest by MTPD.

And a special hats-off to MTPD Dispatcher Stephen Seeley, who was able to assist a hiker with an eight-year-old child with her, who was lost in the woods in the Sourland Mountain Preserve on June 24. The dispatcher used the GPS signal encrypted in the hiker’s cell phone to locate her geographical position, which he then transferred to a Google Earth map on his computer. Dispatcher Seeley then had a patrol car sited on the 3M driveway, about 1,000 from her position. The officer sounded the car horn, which she was able to hear and use as a guide out of the woods. Meanwhile, Dispatcher Seeley kept her on the phone, providing her with emotional support. Good work.

A 15-year-old Township youth was arrested by Det. Jason Larsen on June 24 following an incident of homes on Hoover Ave. and Taft Ct. being egged on June 8. He was released to his parents.

Carless driving ticket issued: A 40-year-old Montgomery man was injured slightly on June 27 when he drove his biclce across several lanes of traffic on Rt. 206 and struck the side of a car driven by 51-YEAR-OLD Belle Mead driver, northbound on Rt. 206. After declining medical treatment, the cyclist was given summons for careless operation of a bicycle, and failure of a bicycle rider to comply with motor vehicle laws.

Scammers called a Township resident during June and told him that hisVerizon account was overdue. They then transferred him to the “billing dept.,” which he provided with his credit card number. He became suspicious after the call and called Verizon, but discovered that their offices were closed for the day. He then called his credit card company and found that someone attempted to use his credit card information several times. All but one was denied.
Someone removed an outdoor carpet and a wooden table from Shady Maple Farm on Rt. 601 on June 27. Two electric outlets were also damaged at the same time, with a total value of $250.
Another vandal spray painted a speed limit sign on East Street, reported on June 27. Damage was estimated at $50.
An 18-year-old Belle Mead man was arrested on June 27 following a traffic stop for a dead brake light, when arresting officers found marijuana inside his car. He was ussued summonses for possession of marijuana under 50 grams, CDS in a motor vehicle, and failure to maintain lamps.

Rt. 206 between Rt. 518 and Sunset Rd was shut down on July 1 after a trailer became disconnected from a southbound landscaper’s truck, left the highway, and knocked down a utility pole and fire hydrant at 10:06 am. No injuries were reported, but Montgomery Fire Co. #2 and MEMS responded, as well as NJ DOT for the pole. The highway was reopened after three hours.

MEMS took away both passengers to UMCP following an accident with injuries on July 3, after an 18-year-old Neversink, NY driver, southbound on Rt. 206 failed to see a car driven by a 19-year-old Montgomery man, stopped for a left hand turn ahead of him. One passenger suffered facial lacerations from the windshield, and another complained of neck pains.

Vandals tossed a plastic garbage can into a mailbox on Opossum Rd., reported on July2. Damage was estimated at $50.

A 32-year-old Halethorpe, MD man was arrested by MTPD after his rental truck was stopped for a delaying traffic violation on July 28. A DMV inquiry revealed a $1,000 ATS warrant from Bridgewater, NJ. The driver was ticketed for delaying traffic and driving while suspended.

When MTPD officers responded to a report of a vehicle crash at Carrier Clinic on July 26 they found an SUV being driven erratically by a 47-year-old Belle Mead man, who struck a tree. Although he complained of back pain and was evaluated by MEMS, he declined treatment. Officers detected signs of intoxication however, and administered field sobriety tests, which the driver failed. He was charged with DWI.

On July 27,Township Police arrested a 34-year-old Philadelphia man when they stopped his car for a speeding violation and discovered that he had an outstanding warrant from Perth Amboy. He was taken to Somerset County Jail for transportation to Perth Amboy when he couldn’t post bond.

A bicyclist was taken to UMCP by MEMS when he was struck by a truck on the Griggstown Causeway. The westbound truck, driven by a Hampton, NJ man was attempting to pass a car driven by a Mendham man. The truck driver was ticketed for improper passing and unsafe tires.

On July 31, an Ichabod Crane resident reported that someone entered her son’s car, which had been parked in her driveway overnight, and removed a radar detector, and damaged a cell phone charger, valued at $110.

SomeONE stole a mailbox and post from the home of an Amerman Lane resident sometime overnight. It was described as green painted metal and the post is made of wood.

Another Belle Mead resident reported on Aug. 1, that his unlocked car was entered and his wallet, containing credit cards and cash, was stolen, along with about 50 CDs.

Township officers observed a car driven by a 20-year-old Willingboro man, drifting within his lane of traffic on Rt. 206 on Aug. 2. After stopping the driver, a check of his records revealed an outstanding warrant. He was ticketed also for driving with a suspended NJ licence.

A Manor Dr. resident reported that some entered his open garage sometime between July 19 and Aug. 2 and stole auto tools and a toolbox, valued at $3,000.

Burglar(s) struck a Rt. 518 home sometime on Aug. 2 or 3. After forcing entry, the thieves stole jewelry, cash, and a handgun.

MTPD is warning all residents to be careful, due to the increasing numbers of door-to-door salesmen,
Especially those selling magazine subscriptions. Occasionally, some sales people will use as a ruse, the claim that their commissions will pay for a trip overseas. Although no criminal activity has been reported as yet with these cases, MTPD warns all residents to be especially cautious.

On Aug 6, a 49-year-old Basking Ridge resident, stopped in traffic at the intersection of Rt. 518 and Rt. 601, was rear-ended by a car driven by a 53-year-old Ewing driver. Both drivers exited their cars; however, the Ewing driver, when told that the first had called the police, quickly got back in his heavily damaged car and scarpered at, what the Police described as “a high rate of speed,” despite deployed airbags. The second driver was stopped by Pennington Police and ticketed for DWI, and by officer Sean Sullivan of MTPD for careless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to report an accident, and uninsured motor vehicle. NO injuries were reported.
An 18-year-old Hillsborough man was arrested on Aug. 11 after his car struck a utility pole on Pleasant View Rd at 1:15 am. Although he was otherwise uninjured, the driver failed a field sobriety test.

On Aug. 8, a Flemington resident reported to Montgomery Township police that she was stopped on Hollow Rd. at 8:15 that morning by what she thought was an unmarked police car with flashing blue lights on the dashboard. A white male in plain clothes then approached her car and requested her credentials. That person then asked her to exit her car and stand next to the driver’s door. He then returned to his car, left it and gave her back her papers, then drove off. The Flemington resident went to work and discussed it with her coworkers, who told her it didn’t sound right, somehow. She then called MTPD, which hasd not made any motor vehicle stops on Hollow Rd. at that time. MTPD asks that if anyone has any information regarding this, to call 908-359-3222.

A juvenile patient at Carrier Clinic reported on Aug. 8 that she was punched several times by a 13-year-old patient at the Clinic on Aug 3, 7, and 8, and that she sustained bruising to her face and neck. The Det. Bureau is investigating.

Township Police arrested a 19-year-old Lansing, MI resident on Aug. 9 after a Montford Dr. resident reported that someone was doing door-to-door soliciting of magazine sales. The suspect did not have a soliciting permit. A 23-year Portsmouth, NJ resident was also arrested later that day for the same thing following a complaint by a Springhill Rd. resident

A North Brunswick driver reported that her car was struck by a hit-and-run driver on Aug.11 when it was parked at the Montgomery Shopping Center. When the owner returned to the car after shopping, she found that someone struck the rear of the car, leaving a blue and white paint transfer.

A RT. 601 resident reported that she returned home on Aug. 11 and discovered her home had been broken into. As she pulled into her driveway, she found an unfamiliar pick-up truck parked in it. A man came around the corner of her house and they had a brief discussion about an item she had advertised for sale. The man then left in his truck. When the victim entered her home, she found that someone had removed a screen and entered through an unsecured ground floor bathrookm at the back of the house, breaking a toilet seat in the process. Entry may also have been attempted at another window as well. Nothing was taken. A roadblock was set with no results. MTSD is investigating.

A Princeton customer issued a bad check to a local car dealer for $1,204.63 in June. Despite attempts to get in touch with the customer, she failed to make the check good. MTSD is investigating.