Princeton Police Blotter: Route 206 Truck Fire, Shoplifting, Burglary and More

A tractor trailer caught on fire on Rt. 206 near Lovers Lane just after 1 p.m. yesterday. Police, Princeton Fire, Princeton First Aid & Rescue, Trenton HAZMAT and PSE&G were all dispatched to the scene. The roadway was shut down to all traffic for about two hours while the Princeton Fire Department and Trenton HAZMAT put out the fire. The truck was operated by Predator Trucking Company out of Somerville.

A 50-year-old Bridgeton man carrying burglar’s tools was arrested in the Princeton cemetery last Thursday afternoon after he was spotted peering into houses along the 100 block of Witherspoon Street, police say. Curtis T. George of Bridgeton, was arrested by Princeton police and was charged with several crimes, including criminal trespass and possession of burglary tools. George was also charged on a warrant arrest after police found $1,350 in multiple traffic and criminal warrants. His bail was set at $2,500.

A man reported that  while he was at a business in the 1st block of Witherspoon Street around noon on April 1,  an unknown person removed cash and a bank card from his coat pocket. Money was then withdrawn from the victim’s bank account with the stolen card, police said. The total amount of the loss is unknown.

Bedirhan Yuksel, 19, of Princeton was charged with being under the influence of a controlled and dangerous substance on March 29. A resident of Princeton Community Village called police around 11:20 p.m. to report that someone had been in the area smoking marijuana. Police investigated and found Yukel on Mulberry Row.

The clerk at a business in the first block of Spring Street called police March 29 to report that three teens had been in the store within the last 15 minutes and had stolen several items from the store. The caller stated that while he was attending to other customers, three teenage girls removed approximately $275 worth of merchandise from the store without paying for the items.

On March 30, police responded to a residence in the 200 block of Valley Rd. on a report that the house had been burglarized. Upon arrival officers discovered the rear of the home had been accessed by forced entry, and the interior of the house had been ransacked. It was unknown at the time of the report the extent of items, if any, that were taken from the home.