Princeton Police Blotter: Five vehicles stolen in Princeton, more mailbox check thefts reported, bike taken
More vehicles stolen in Princeton
In recent months, unlocked vehicles have been stolen from Princeton, West Windsor, Montgomery, and neighboring communities. A week ago, there was a string of vehicle thefts in West Windsor. Sometimes thieves are stealing items inside vehicles. Other times, especially when keys are left in vehicles, thieves are stealing the vehicles. Police have asked residents to lock their vehicles. It is easy to have a false sense of security living in the Princeton area. Don’t make your car an easy target for thieves. Lock your car and don’t leave keys inside. At least five vehicles were stolen from Princeton neighborhoods over the past week.
A 2017 BMW X5 was stolen from a Pine Street resident’s driveway between 7 p.m. on Sept. 7 and 7:15 a.m. on Sept. 8. The BMW was left unlocked with the keys inside.
On Sept. 9, a resident of Maple Street reported that someone stole her 2009 Pontiac Vibe from the street in front of her home. The car had been left unlocked with the keys inside it.
A resident of Westerly Road reported that between 6 p.m. on Sept. 4 and 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 5, someone entered her vehicle and rummaged through her glove box and center console. Nothing appeared to be stolen. Another resident of Westerly Road reported that between 8:30 p.m. Sept. 4 and 9:15 a.m. on Sept. 5, someone stole a 2019 Subaru Outback from the resident’s driveway. The windows were down and the spare key had been left in the center console. Another vehicle in the driveway, a 2013 Mazda Miata convertible with the top down, was entered and the console was rummaged through, but nothing was taken.
A resident reported to the police on the morning of Sept. 3 that someone entered his locked 2020 Subaru Outback on Nassau Street, started the vehicle, and drove it away.
On Sept. 5 at about 4:30 a.m., police received a suspicious vehicle report about a BMW X7. The abandoned BMW was later found by police on the Great Road. The vehicle was stolen from a driveway on Hunt Road.
More mailbox check thefts
Residents continue to report that checks have been stolen, altered, and cashed that were mailed from Palmer Square. If the most recent two reported incidents, it is unclear whether the checks were cashed before or after two suspects were arrested by police in the check cashing scams.
On Sept. 7, a woman reported that she mailed a personal check from a mailbox at Palmer Square East that was then altered and cashed for $7,950. The Princeton Police Detective Bureau is investigating the incident.
On Aug. 31, a resident of Princeton Kingston Road reported that she had placed two checks in the U.S. Post Office mailbox on Palmer Square West. She later learned that the checks had been altered from their original amounts and were cashed for $1,900.
PNC Bank withdrawals
A resident of Wilton Street reported to the police on Aug. 27 that someone withdrew $3,000 from the resident’s bank account via bank tellers at three PNC Bank locations in Washington DC on Aug. 26. The Princeton Police Detective Bureau is investigating the matter.
Lock your bikes
An unlocked bike was stolen from the front porch of a resident of Greenview Avenue. The theft was reported on Sept. 2. The bike was valued at $800.
Shoplifting
A 63-year-old resident of Weehawken was arrested at about 5 p.m. on Aug. 30 for shoplifting from a store on Palmer Square West. An employee of the shop on Palmer reported that two greeting cards were stolen from the store.
DWI
A 23-year-old Princeton resident was charged with driving while intoxicated after he was pulled over on Nassau Street for failing to use headlights just after 2 a.m. on Sept. 4. The driver was transported to police headquarters, processed, and released to a sober adult.
Keep your wallets and purses secure
Just before noon on Sept. 7, a person reported that his wallet and several items in it were stolen from the Palmer Square East area earlier in the day.
Krystal Knapp is the founding editor of Planet Princeton. Follow her on Twitter @krystalknapp. She can be reached via email at editor AT planetprinceton.com. Send all letters to the editor and press releases to that email address.
I can’t understand why USPS is not installing safer mailboxes. In the relatively recent past, I had a check stolen at the Princeton Shopping Center mailbox. My check for $120 was altered into over $26,000! The sum was so huge that the bank notified me and blocked the transaction. Now, every time I have to send a check, I have to drive to the Post Office and mail it inside the building! very inconvenient!
Aren’t the banks asking for ID when these checks are being cashed? I have to show two means of ID when cashing a check, such as a driver’s license and/or a credit card.
Oh boy! This is truly concerning for us, as Princeton is a top choice to move our digital magazine headquarters to. We have been visiting Princeton and doing our research for the past 3 years. These reports are of concern to us. We thought Princeton was very safe.
I think the fact that people are routinely leaving their BMWs unlocked with the keys inside signify the level of safety residents feel they are living in. Nowhere has zero crime and all of these crimes are non violent and frankly, preventable and opportunistic.