Shoplifting Arrest – January 2, 2009 @ 1642 hours, Gaurav T. Singh, 31, Hillsborough, NJ was arrested for shoplifting at Costco.  A store employee observed Singh put a $180 Columbia parka on, remove the sales tags and exit the store.  Singh was charged with shoplifting and released.

 Theft Arrest – January 2, 2009 @ 1905 hours, Jamee N. Sylvester, 20, Plainfield, NJ was arrested and charged with Theft at Target.  Sylvester, who was employed by Target at the time of the theft, is accused of taking a $30 Target Gift Card that was inadvertently left at her register by a customer and using the gift card for her own benefit.  Sylvester was charged with theft and released.

 Simple Assault Arrest – January 3, 2009 @ 0319 hours, Robert Skura, 36, Watchung, NJ was arrested for simple assault at a residence on French Drive.  Skura is accused of head butting the resident of the French Drive home.  The head butt caused the victims upper lip to split.  Skura was released after he posted bail on an active warrant out of the Piscataway municipal court.

 Disorderly Conduct Arrest – January 3, 2009 @ 0556 hours, Robert M. Skura, 36, Watchung, NJ was arrested for disorderly conduct on French Drive.  Skura was arrested during the course of a police investigation when he began screaming and yelling obscenities outside the residence on French Drive.  He was released after being charged with disorderly conduct.

 Theft Arrest – January 3, 2009 @ 1426 hours, Edwin C. Lane 3^rd, 65, Martinsville, NJ was arrested for theft from Home Depot on Promenade Boulevard.  Lane, who was employed by Home Depot at the time of his arrest, is accused of stealing two Big Smith Camo jackets valued at $41 each.  Home Depot security conducted an investigation regarding the theft of the two jackets and determined that Lane was the suspect.  Lane was questioned by a security officer and he admitted that he had taken the jackets on two separate occasions to wear while he worked in the parking lot assisting customers.  Lane was charged with theft and released.

 Arrest – January 4, 2009 @ 0420 hours, Ronald S. Umphenour, 19, Bridgewater, NJ was arrested after a motor vehicle stop on Glen Ridge Drive South.  Umphenour was arrested and charged with underage possession of alcohol and receiving stolen property.  The arresting officer located a 30 pack of beer and a street sign that was stolen in Warren in Umphenour’s vehicle.

 Shoplifting Arrest – January 4, 2009 @ 1234 hours, Vijayalakshmi Narahari, 62, Somerville, NJ was arrested for shoplifting at Macy’s.  Narahari is accused of stealing a woman’s handbag, a picture frame and a juicer all valued at $47.  Narahari was charged with shoplifting and released.

 Shoplifting Arrest – January 5, 2009 @ 1353 hours, Hsiu-Huei Chu, 48, Belle Mead, NJ was arrested for shoplifting $35 worth of merchandise from Costco.  She was also charged with resisting arrest after she became hysterical and was flailing her arms while being handcuffed.  She was released pending court.

 Drug Arrest – January 5, 2009 @ 1946 hours, Zackary Falcon, 20, Bridgewater, NJ, Jeffrey Dugan, 21, Bridgewater, NJ and Timothy Higginbotham, 20, Piscataway, NJ were arrested following a motor vehicle stop on Thompson Avenue.  The arresting officer observed marijuana in the center console after he approached the vehicle.  A search of the vehicle was conducted and less than 50 grams of marijuana and drug paraphernalia were located.  Falcon, Dugan and Higginbotham were charged with possession of marijuana under 50 and possession of drug paraphernalia.

  Drug Arrest – January 6, 2009 @ 0226 hours, Ronald Umphenour, 19, Bridgewater, NJ was arrested for possession of marijuana following a motor vehicle stop on Route 202/206 South.  Umphenour was stopped after an officer observed the vehicle he was driving had tinted windows.  Umphenour was charged with Possession of CDS under 50 Grams, Possessing CDS in a Motor Vehicle, Driving While Suspended, Tinted Windows and Failure to Produce Documents.

 Theft – January 6, 2008 @ 1757 hours, an employee of Victoria’s Secret reported the theft of $470 worth of perfume from a display.

 Shoplifting Arrest – January 6, 2009 @ 2108 hours, Heather L. Murphy, 20, Hillsbourgh, NJ and juvenile from Raritan were arrested for shoplifting at Macy’s.  Murphy and the juvenile are accused of stealing $128 worth of clothing and candy.

 Theft – January 7, 2009 @ 1809 hours, a resident of Manville reported their 2003 Acura RSX was stolen from the Bridgewater Commons Mall.

 Shoplifting Arrest – January 8, 2009 @ 1708 hours, Hassan S. Harris Jr, 19, Somerville, NJ was arrested for shoplifting at Target.  Harris was apprehended by store security officers trying to push a shopping cart filled with $1,010 worth of Blue-ray disks and DVD’s out of the store without paying. Harris was charged with third degree shoplifting and released.

 Shoplifting Arrest – January 8, 2009 @ 1731 hours, Jeffrey R. Lebowitz, 39, Boca Raton, FL was arrested for shoplifting at Bloomingdale’s.  A store security officer observed Lebowitz conceal $798 worth of jewelry in a shopping bag and exit the store.  Lebowitz was charged with third degree shoplifting and released after posting $1,000 bail.

 Theft – January 8, 2009 @ 2047 hours, an employee of Bath and Body Works reported the theft of 28 bottles of perfume valued at $742.  The employee told the reporting officer the perfume was last seen on a display table.

 Burglary / Theft – January 9, 2009 @ 0133 hours, an employee of the Bridgewater Commons Mall reported that a kiosk occupied by The Mobile Solution had been burglarized.  At the time of the report, it was reported that a black male approximately 5’10” tall wearing all black was seen behind the counter of the kiosk.  He was then seen running from the scene carrying a bag after he had broken into a cabinet and stolen an undetermined amount of merchandise.

 DWI Arrest – January 10, 2009 @ 0346 hours, Gerald M. Dearborn, 49, Greenbrook, NJ was arrested for DWI on Route 22 East.  Dearborn was charged with DWI, Failure to Maintain a Lane, Failure to Wear a Seatbelt and Failure to Exhibit Documents.

 DWI Arrest – January 11, 2009 @ 2202 hours, April K. Morecraft, 31, Piscataway, NJ was arrested for DWI on Route 287 South.  Morecraft was stopped for speeding on Route 22 East.  She was charged with DWI and Speeding.

 Burglary/Theft – January 12, 2009 @ 1254 hours, a construction vehicle was broken into while parked at BRI located on Polhemus Lane.  The vehicle was entered after a lock was cut from the rear door.  Various tools valued in excess of $4,500 were stolen from the vehicle.

 Shoplifting Arrest – January 12, 2009 @ 1449 hours, Han Cui, 37, Basking Ridge, NJ was arrested for shoplifting at Costco.  A Costco security officer told the investigating officer they observed Cui select a $90 Fossil purse from a display and conceal it in the purse she was carrying.  Cui attempted to exit the store without paying for the purse.  She was charged with shoplifting and released.

 Burglary/Theft – January 13, 2009 @ 1630 hours, a Flemington resident reported that their 2003 Toyota Camry was broken into while it was outside a business on Finderne Avenue.  A window on the Toyota was broken to gain access.  A laptop computer and two cell phones were reported stolen from the vehicle. 

 DWI Arrest – January 14, 2009 @ 0106 hours, Jacob D. Krueger, 24, Brook Park, Ohio was arrested for DWI on Ramsey Street.  Krueger was charged with DWI, Failure to Observe a Red Light and Failure to Maintain a Lane.

 Shoplifting Arrest – January 14, 2009 @ 1843 hours, a juvenile from Califon was arrested for shoplifting at Bloomingdale’s.  A store security officer told police they observed the juvenile place a $62 t-shirt in their handbag and attempt to leave the store.

 Drug Arrest – January 15, 2009 @ 0040 hours, Nicole Aiello, 37, Bridgewater, NJ was arrested for possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.  The arresting officer discovered the drugs and paraphernalia while checking Aiello while she was parked on Stratford Place.  Aiello was charged with third degree possession of CDS and a disorderly person charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.  She was released without bail.

 Burglary/Theft – January 15, 2009 @ 1520 hours, a resident of Mayflower Court reported their 2006 Toyota Sienna was burglarized.  The victim told the reporting officer they left the vehicle unlocked and a purse was stolen

 Theft – January 15, 2009 @ 1555 hours, an employee of Abercrombie & Fitch reported the theft of 64 t-shirts valued in excess of $2,300.

 Burglary/Theft – January 15, 2009 @ 1810 hours, a resident of Mayflower Court reported their 2002 Toyota Sequoia was burglarized.  The victim told the reporting officer they left the vehicle unlocked and a GPS unit was stolen.

 Burglary/Theft – January 16, 2009 @ 0535 hours, a resident of Bittle Court reported their 2005 Acura TSX was burglarized.  The victim told the reporting officer the suspect entered the trunk and stole a cordless drill, cordless nail gun and a tool box containing screw drivers and wrenches. 

 Arrest – Simulated Government Documents – January 16, 2009 @ 1048 hours, Victor R. Benavides-Alvarez, 38, Brooklyn, NY was arrested for possession of a simulated government document during a motor vehicle stop on Route 22 West.  Benavides-Alvarez was stopped for speeding and he produced a fictitious North Carolina driver license.  He was charged with Possession of Simulated Government Document and Speeding and released after posting bail.

 DWI Arrest – January 18, 2009 @ 0258 hours, Jaime Osorio Jr, 26, Bridgewater, NJ was arrested for DWI on Route 22 West.  Osorio was charged with DWI, Failure to Maintain a Lane and Using Private Property to Avoid a Traffic Signal.

 Shoplifting Arrest – January 20, 2009 @ 1555 hours, Timothy Gauss, 47, Somerville, NJ was arrested for shoplifting a box of $3.99 White Owl cigars from Hess Gas on Route 22 West.  An employee observed Gauss take the cigars from behind the cashier’s counter, conceal them in his jacket and leave the store.  Gauss was charged with shoplifting and released without bail.

 Obstruction Arrest – January 20, 2009 @ 2008 hours, Erick Smith, 30, Phillipsburg, NJ was arrested for Obstructing Administration of Law following a reported fight at Ardmaer Park.  The arresting officer observed a vehicle driving away from the scene of the fight.  After a motor vehicle stop, Smith provided the arresting officer a false name and date of birth.  Smith was charged with Obstructing Administration of Law and released without bail.

 DWI Arrest – January 21, 2009 @ 2012 hours, Kevin A. Deutsch, 53, Greenbrook, NJ was arrested for DWI on Washington Valley Road.  Deutsch was arrested after his vehicle was located disabled on Washington Valley Road.  The arresting officer located Deutsch’s vehicle after the Warren Police advised they were looking for a vehicle involved in a motor vehicle crash in their jurisdiction.  Deutsch was charged with DWI and released to a family member.

 Theft/Criminal Mischief – January 22, 2009 @ 0628 hours, an employee of McFarland’s Gas and Car Wash reported a soda machine was broken into and cash was stolen.  The door on the machine was pried open allowing the cash to be removed.

 Shoplifting Arrest – January 23, 2009 @ 0837 hours, Freddy Lazarte, 46, Bridgewater, NJ was arrested for shoplifting over $200 worth of groceries from Wegmans.  A Wegmans Loss Prevention Officer told the responding police officers they observed Lazarte select the groceries and place them in a shopping cart.  Lazarte was then observed placing the groceries in plastic bags he had with him.  He then exited the store where he was stopped by the Loss Prevention Officer.  Lazarte was released after being charged with shoplifting.

 DWI Arrest – January 24, 2009 @ 0128 hours, Scott J. Landstrom, 26, Bridgewater, NJ was arrested for DWI on Route 22 East.  Landstrom was charged with DWI, Refusal to Submit Breath Samples, Uninsured Motorist, Failure to Maintain Lane and Failure to Produce Documents.

 Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card – January 25, 2009 @ 1740 hours, an employee of Optical World, located at the Bridgewater Commons Mall, reported a customer used a fraudulent credit card to make a $900 purchase.  Investigation revealed the suspect in this case obtained a customers account information and created a fraudulent credit card with the information. 

 Burglary/Theft – January 26, 2009 @ 0828 hours, a resident of Yorktown Road reported their unlocked 2007 Jeep Wrangler was burglarized while it was parked in their driveway.  A navigation unit and cash were reported stolen from the vehicle.

 Burglary/Theft – January 26, 2009 @ 1042 hours, a burglary was reported to the China Moon restaurant on Route 28.  A window was broken on the front door allowing access to the business.  An undetermined amount of money was stolen from the cash register.

 Criminal Mischief – January 27, 2009 @ 1407 hours, a student at Bridgewater-Raritan High School reported their 2008 Ford Focus was scratched intentionally while it was parked in the student parking lot.

 Shoplifting – January 29, 2009 @ 1251 hours, an employee of Landau Jewelers, located in the Bridgewater Commons Mall reported the theft of a $845 necklace.  The employee reported a white male in his 50’s; wearing tan pants and a green winter jacket entered the store and took the necklace from a display.  The male then exited the store without paying for the necklace.

  DWI Arrest – January 31, 2009 @ 0111 hours, Rebecca L. Wolf, 43, Monmouth Junction, NJ was arrested for DWI on Route 206 North.  Wolf was charged with DWI, Obstructing Traffic and Driving through a Painted Divider.

 DWI Arrest – January 31, 2009 @ 2134 hours, Manjeet S. Lakhanpal, 43, Middlesex, NJ was arrested for DWI on Route 202/206 South.  Lakhanpal was charged with DWI, Open Container of Alcohol in a Motor Vehicle and Unsafe Lane Change.

 Burglary/Theft – January 31, 2009 @ 0310 hours, a burglary was discovered at Best Buy 300 Commons Way.  Officers had responded to Best Buy on an activated burglar alarm.  When the officers arrived they found that a hole had been cut through a rear bay door allowing access to the store.  The actors entered the store and stole assorted small electronic equipment.

January 2009 Police Blotter

December 2008 Police Blotter

November 2008 Police Blotter

October 2008 Police Blotter

September 2008 Police Blotter

Police Blotter Archives