Stolen Bicycle Found in Possession of 13-Year-Old

A stolen bicycle was recovered and a 13-year-old Trenton boy arrested after a Roxboro Road resident found the teenager allegedly snooping around her property Tuesday evening (Sept. 13), according to Lt. Charles Edgar, spokesman for the Lawrence Township Police Department.

Going outside to retrieve an item from her vehicle, the woman discovered the boy near the vehicle at the rear of her property in the 100 block of Roxboro Road. When the woman confronted him, the boy fled on a bicycle in the direction of Princeton Pike, Edgar said.

He said the woman called 911 at 6:17 p.m. and provided police with a description of the boy. Officers canvassed the area and located the suspect, accompanied by a 17-year-old Trenton boy, several blocks away on Devon Avenue.

While officers were questioning the juveniles, police received a call from a different resident of Roxboro Road reporting the theft of a red and silver mountain bike, Edgar said.

He said police soon confirmed that the bike the 13-year-old was riding was the one that had been stolen from the second Roxboro Road residence. Officers also found that the teenager had allegedly been in possession of bolt cutters that he tried to discard under a parked vehicle.

The 13-year-old was placed under arrested and charged with receiving stolen property, possession of a burglary tool and hindering, Edgar said.  

Edgar said there have been “a lot” of bicycle thefts reported in Lawrence Township this summer, including one at a third Roxboro Road address about 6:30 p.m. Monday (Sept. 12).

He urged residents to take steps to properly secure their bicycles and not leave bikes unattended.