Princeton police blotter: Phone and email scams, car burglaries, thefts

Two vehicles parked in a driveway on Farrand Road were burglarized some time between the evening of Dec. 10 and the morning of Dec. 11. Various electronic items were stolen. The items are valued at $1,025.

A resident of Winant Road reported that he parked his black 2018 Lexus in his driveway at night on Dec. 10.  and left the vehicle unlocked. When he went outside at 6:30 a.m. on Dec. 11, he discovered that the contents of his vehicle were rummaged through and that two pairs of his glasses and a vial containing $5 in quarters was missing. The total value of the stolen items was $250. 

A third car burglary incident overnight on Dec. 10 took place on Lafayette Road West. A resident parked her silver BMW X3 in her driveway. At about 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 11, she discovered that the vehicle’s glove box and center console were rummaged through. The vehicle was unlocked. The woman said nothing appeared to have been stolen.

Two residents of Princeton Community Village reported that items were stolen from their vehicles. One car was entered between 11 p.m. Dec. 3 and 8 a.m. Dec. 4.  A wallet containing cash and various documents was stolen. The next night, a second car was entered and several items valued at $35 were stolen. 

In late November a woman reported that a man entered her garage on the 300 block of Franklin Avenue and was trying to enter her car and steal items. He ran away when she caught him. 

On Dec. 4, a resident of Cleveland Lane reported that his home was burglarized the evening of Dec. 3.  Someone entered the home through a broken window on the second floor of the house. It was unknown what was stolen at the time the police report was made. 

In late November, three vehicles were stolen from Princeton residences and later recovered. A 2017 Tesla was stolen from Montadale Drive and later found on Magnolia Lane. Police received a report about a disabled SUV blocking the roadway, A check of the registration revealed it was reported stolen from a Wescott Road address an hour earlier. An Audi Q3 was stolen from the driveway of a Cleveland Lane residence. The vehicle was left in the driveway overnight, unlocked, with the keys in it. The vehicle was later recovered in Monmouth County. 

A resident of Lambert Drive was the victim of a phone scam this month. The suspect deposited money into the resident’s bank account for an alleged refund that was offered to her. The suspect then requested that the victim send the extra money back via I-Tunes gift cards. The suspect had gained access to the victim’s bank account and transferred money from the savings account into the checking account, making it look like a refund from an outside source had been deposited into her account. The victim did not have any financial loss as a result of the incident because she did not follow the request to send money back via I-Tunes cards. 

Another resident was a victim of a similar scam this month. A resident of South Stanworth Drive reported on Dec. 4 that she had been contacted by an unknown person via email and scammed into purchasing $1,500 in ITunes gift cards to the person. The victim forwarded the redemption codes to the person.

A woman reported that on Dec. 1, her purse containing her checkbook and cash was stolen from the Princeton Garden Theater. The victim said that she accidentally left her purse under her theater seat after the movie was over at noon. When she returned at 4 p.m. to look for the purse, it was gone. The total value of the loss is $318.

A woman reported that her daughter’s cell phone was stolen at the Panera on Nassau Street between 4 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 1 by an unknown person. The phone was valued at $650. 

A resident of the 300 block of Elm Road reported to police on Dec. 1 that some time between Oct. 1 and Oct. 4, a personal check was stolen from his checkbook and cashed for $2,000. 

Just before 1 a.m. on Dec. 8, a Pennington resident was arrested for allegedly driving while intoxicated.  The 30-year-old woman was arrested as a result of a motor vehicle stop on Princeton Kingston Road. She was processed at police headquarters and released to a sober adult.

On Dec. 3, a New Brunswick resident was arrested on the 400 block of Nassau Street just after midnight for allegedly driving while intoxicated and several other offenses, including a $1,500 warrant out of New Brunswick Municipal Court. Jose Gonzalez-Noyola, 34,  was pulled over for failure to maintain a lane. He was arrested and transported to police headquarters, where he was processed, issued several motor vehicle summonses and complaint summonses with a pending court date, and released to a sober adult.

On Dec.1 just before midnight, a Battle Road resident was arrested for allegedly driving while intoxicated and for possession of a controlled and dangerous substance. Steven Gecha, 64, was pulled over for failure to maintain a lane.  He was taken to police headquarters, where he was processed, issued several motor vehicle summonses and a complaint summons with a pending court date, and released to a sober adult.

A Princeton resident was pulled over on Stockton Street for several alleged motor vehicle violations, including failure to stop at a stop sign, at about 2 a.m. on Nov. 22. The driver, Jason Altman, was allegedly driving while intoxicated. Altman, 25, was transported to police headquarters where he was processed, issued several motor vehicle summonses with a pending court date, and released to a sober adult.

A Florida man was pulled over on South Harrison Street at about 3 a.m. on Nov. 22 for failure to keep right. Anant Patel, 36, was arrested for allegedly driving while intoxicated. He was also charged with being in possession of over 50 grams of THC oil. He was taken to police headquarters, where he was processed, issued several motor vehicle summonses and a complaint summons with a pending court date, and was released to a sober adult.

On Dec. 8, a 30-year-old Trenton resident was arrested at police headquarters for a Princeton Municipal Court Warrant for $275. She was processed, posted bail, and was released.