Princeton Police Blotter: Attempted Car Theft, Burglary at Copperwood, False 911 Report

A resident reported that sometime overnight on August 19, someone broke into his 2002 Ford Taurus and damaged the steering column and dashboard in an apparent attempt to steal the car. The vehicle was parked in the resident’s driveway on John Street at the time.

A Copperwood Housing Development employee reported that sometime between Aug. 15 and Aug. 18, someone entered a second floor lounge and stole a 55-inch LG EZ Sign TV valued at $1079.83. Copperwood is a new senior housing development being built by architect Bob Hillier on Bunn Drive. Last week, a Marlin Construction Company superintendent also reported that sometime between 4 p.m. Aug. 13 and 6:45 a.m. on Aug. 14, someone drilled a hole on the side of the company’s 75-gallon diesel fuel tank at the construction site, causing 35 gallons of diesel fuel to leak out. The Princeton Fire Department, Princeton Fire Inspector, and a New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection inspector determined that there was no threat to wildlife in the area. The Marlin Construction Company arranged for the fuel cleanup. The cost for damage and cleanup has not been determined.

West Windsor Police arrested Jerry Walker on Aug. 19 on a Princeton Municipal Court warrant for $25,000. Walker, who lives in Trenton, was turned over to Princeton Police officers, who transported him to the Mercer County Correctional Center after he was unable to post bail.

A 41-year-old Connecticut man was arrested on Aug. 17 after calling 911 and falsely reporting that his 2001 Hyundai Sonata was stolen from Bayard Lane. Paul Santos reportedly struck a telephone pole on the corner of South Clinton Avenue and Division Street in Trenton and fled the scene, parking the car in a parking lot on Bayard Lane. Santos allegedly walked away from the car and called 911, reporting it was stolen. Officers located his vehicle on Bayard Lane and determined that his report was false. He was arrested, processed at police headquarters and released with a summons for false public alarm.

A truck driver crashed into a utility pole Aug. 14, snapping it in half and forcing police to shut down a portion of Washington Road to replace the pole. Frank Forte, 58, of Clifton, struck the pole near Faculty Road at about 1:53 p.m., leaving it hanging with its electrical wires still attached. The truck was owned by Sloan & Company, Inc., a contractor based in Caldwell. Washington Road between Prospect Avenue and Faculty Road was shut down for at least two hours until PSE&G arrived. Forte was issued a summons for careless driving. There were no injuries. The box truck had minor damage to its right front cab area.

Sometime between Aug. 8 and Aug. 16, someone forcibly entered a residence on the 700 block of Princeton-Kingston Rd. through a back window, and removed an undetermined amount of antique jewelry and cash.

A resident reported that sometime between 9 a.m. on Aug. 1 and 2 p.m. on Aug. 11, someone stole his Trek Mountain Bike valued at $550. The bike was locked to a utility pole with a coil lock on Hodge near Elm Road.

A 20-year-old Staten Island man allegedly stole $210.89 worth of Mach 3 Gillette razors from the CVS on State Road on Aug. 13. Devon Hussevin was seen by the store manager leaving the store in a gray Ford Focus with New Jersey plates. Police patrols spotted the vehicle on Hodge Road, conducted a motor vehicle stop, and found the stolen items. Hussevin was placed under arrest and processed at police headquarters. He was released with a summons.