Princeton Police Blotter: Woman swindled out of $250,000, unlocked BMW stolen, scammer pretends to be bank employee

A resident of Walker Drive reported to police on Aug. 24  that she was scammed out of $250,000 when someone posed as her friend and told her to wire money for an investment. She wired the money before she realized the request was a scam.

A blue 2021 BMW X5 valued at $64,000 was stolen from a property on Wilkinson Way sometime between 5 p.m. on Aug. 23 and 9 a.m. on Aug. 24. The BMW was left unlocked with the keys inside. The owner reported that the vehicle also contained multiple personal identifying documents. 

Someone went into an unlocked car on John Street Alley on Aug. 24 and rummaged through the vehicle, stealing a wallet and money from the center console and glove box. 

A resident of the Avalon Bay Apartments on Witherspoon Street reported to police on Aug. 26 that someone stole a book valued at $2,300  from the community package room of the apartment complex. 

A resident reported to police on Aug. 24 that someone opened checking accounts using the person’s personal information. The case is tied to two addresses on Wiggins Street and Dodds Lane. 

A 29-year-old man from Manville was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest on Witherspoon Street just before 9 p.m. on Aug. 27. The man was allegedly harassing someone. Police investigated the matter, and the man allegedly began yelling obscenities and became combative with the investigating officers. He then pushed an officer and resisted arrest. 

Just before 10 p.m. on Aug. 22, a 53-year-old Kingston man was arrested for driving while intoxicated after he was involved in a hit and run. Police said he was transported to headquarters, processed, and released to a sober friend.

A resident of Maclean Circle was tricked out of $1,500 by someone portraying himself as a PNC bank employee. The scammer advised the victim to purchase $1,500 worth of Target and Apple gift cards to correct a banking error. The victim purchased the gift cards and provided the scammer with the card information. He later learned he had been scammed and reported it to the police on Aug. 18.

A Trewbridge Court resident was scammed out of $3,000 by someone she met on a dating website. She reported the scam to the police on Aug. 14.

The liftgate at the Spring Street garage was damaged on Aug. 13. Video surveillance revealed that a man was hanging on the gate and damaged it. 

Someone stole more than  $1,140  worth of tools from the Princeton Housing Authority garage on Redding Circle. Police were notified of the theft on Aug. 12. 

Just after 1 a.m. on Aug. 12, a man who was on Nassau Street called 9-1-1 to ask for help after backing his car into a building. Police determined that the 24-year-old man from Monmouth Junction had been driving while intoxicated. He was arrested, processed, and later released to a sober adult.

Residents of South Harrison Street reported that when they returned home from vacation on Aug. 12,  they discovered that the window on one of their entry doors was broken by someone using an unknown object. Their rear door was also unlocked even though it had been locked with a dead bold when they left for vacation. Nothing appeared to have been stolen.