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.