Burglary Of A Vehicle, Theft By Deception: Princeton Police Blotter

The following is a summary of incidents as reported by Princeton Police:

PRINCETON, NJ — On July 23, at 11:33 p.m., following a motor vehicle stop for a maintenance of lamps violation on South Harrison Street, the driver, a Trenton resident, was found to have an active warrant out of the Hamilton Township Municipal Court with full bail, totaling $550.00. The 44-year-old was placed under arrest, handcuffed, transported to headquarters, and later released after posting full cash bail. He was issued a motor vehicle summons for Maintenance of Lamps.

On July 23, at 5:36 p.m., a man visited Princeton Police Headquarters to report that he was the victim of a theft by deception incident. The man said that while searching for an apartment, he located a rental listing on Facebook Marketplace. After contacting the individual who posted the listing, he was provided detailed information about the apartment and proceeded to submit a deposit of $800 to secure the lease. Further investigation revealed that the listing was fraudulent. As a result, the victim sustained a monetary loss in the amount of $800.

On July 23, 9:10 a.m., a man reported that on July 20, sometime between 12 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., an unknown suspect(s) stole two of his bicycles that were left unsecured on a bike rack located on the front porch of his residence on Nassau St.

Stolen Property:

• One (1) black Hipatoo V8 electric bicycle with a loose left brake handle and a scratch near its rear wheel, valued at approximately $850.
• One (1) street-style bicycle (unknown make, model, or value).

On July 23, at 8:48 a.m., a man reported that sometime between 9:20 p.m. on July 21 and approximately 6 a.m. on July 22, an unknown suspect(s) stole his electric bicycle, which was secured to a bike rack located on the front porch of his home on Nassau Street.

Stolen Property:

• One (1) Gosen Q7 Folding Fat Tire Electric Bicycle with scuff marks on the right gear shifter, a front battery that doesn't function, and a loose seat, valued at approximately $1,000

• One (1) felt covered chain bicycle lock (unknown brand) valued at approximately $20

Total Value of Stolen Property: $1,020.00

On July 28, at 7:32 p.m., a resident reported that an unknown suspect(s) entered two of his vehicles while they were parked and unlocked in the driveway of his home on Cleveland Lane. During the incident, the only item stolen was an ignition key belonging to the vehicle, and it appears that the suspect was specifically targeting the vehicles, rather than the property/valuables left in them. The investigation is on-going.

On July 28, at 4:02 a.m., a resident received a notification from his Ring security camera. After reviewing the footage, he observed unknown individuals parking a vehicle at the end of his driveway. The victim noted that one person exited the vehicle and attempted to open the driver-side front and rear doors of the vehicle parked in the driveway. Since the vehicle was securely locked, the individual then attempted to open the passenger side doors of another vehicle in the driveway. As the suspect approached this vehicle, the Ring floodlight activated, prompting the suspect to quickly return to their vehicle. The unknown vehicle then left the area.

On July 28, at 9 a.m., patrols responded to Nassau Street near Palmer Square East in response to an individual who matched the description of a suspect involved in a previous bicycle theft case. The on-scene investigation revealed that the man was in possession of stolen property, specifically a Pexmor 500W 14" Electric Bike, valued at $450.00, and a cable combination lock, both belonging to the victim of the aforementioned theft case. The 55-year-old Trenton resident was placed under arrest and searched incident to his arrest, resulting in the discovery of several burglary tools. These included a modified white and silver "Bonny" can opener resembling a bolt cutter, an orange box cutter-style knife, a red/silver Phillips head screwdriver, an approximately three-inch "S" shaped metal rod, and a "Universal One" wand staple remover. Additionally, the search uncovered three clear glass cylindrical tubes containing small amounts of suspected crack cocaine residue and copper wire. He was charged with receiving stolen property, possession of burglary tools, possession of drug paraphernalia, obstructing the administration of law, and refusing to provide fingerprints during arrest processing. After processing, he was transported to Mercer County Correctional Center without incident. The stolen items were later returned to the victim.

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