Princeton police blotter: Graffiti on the library wall, shoplifting, catalytic converter thefts

“Free Palestine” was scrawled in red spray paint on the exterior wall of the Princeton Public Library facing Hinds Plaza over the weekend and the graffiti was removed Tuesday afternoon. According to police, a man was observed spray painting the wall on Sunday just before 10 a.m. He was described as having fair skin and was described as about 5’10” tall with a slim build. He was wearing gray jeans, white sneakers, a blue hooded sweatshirt, and a red jacket, and was carrying a backpack. In late December, pro-Palestine, anti-Israel graffiti also was spray painted on two eating clubs and an academic building at Princeton University.

Someone smashed the rear window of a woman’s car on Ewing Street on Jan. 19. The woman called police at about 11:25 a.m. to report the incident. Other areas of the car were also vandalized, according to the woman.

Items stolen from cars and a porch

A woman’s car was broken into while it was parked on Alexander Street on the evening of Jan. 11. Someone stole several credit cards and debit cards from
two purses that were in the trunk of the car. The woman and the friend who was with her then began receiving notifications of attempts to make purchases with their credit and debit cards at several stores located inside the Nassau Park Boulevard strip mall just off Route 1 in West Windsor.

On the evening of Jan. 2, a person reported that they parked a vehicle on Alexander Street, and someone entered the vehicle and stole about $170 worth of property.

A resident of Governors Lane reported on Jan. 2 that someone stole a package valued at $330 from their front porch.

Shoplifting

An employee at a retail shop on Nassau Street called the police just after 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 20 to report that a dark-skinned man wearing an olive-green jacket, a gray hooded sweatshirt, a black knit hat, olive green pants, and black sneakers entered the store and stole six items. The total value of the items was $5,068.

Earlier on the same day, a store owner on State Road called the police to report that someone had stolen several items from their store. The value of the stolen items was $953.69. The suspect was described as a light-skinned Black male, who was about 20 years old and was 5’5” tall, with a thin build. He was wearing a black jacket and backpack.

On the afternoon of Jan. 13, the general manager of a store on Nassau Street reported that someone entered the store and shoplifted eight men’s wool
beanie-style hats valued at about $544. The suspect placed the items underneath the back of his jacket and then left the store without paying for them. The suspect was described as a heavyset black male with a light complexion and light beard.
He was described as about 40 to 50 years old and was wearing glasses.

Catalytic converter thefts

A Harris Road resident reported to police on the afternoon of Jan. 11 that someone had stolen her catalytic converter while her vehicle was parked in her driveway on Harris Road.

On the afternoon of Jan. 16, a Leigh Avenue resident reported that someone stole the catalytic converter from his vehicle while it was parked on Leigh Avenue.

Drunk driving

Just before 1 a.m. on Jan. 21, a 24-year-old Robbinsville resident was pulled over by police for failing to keep right. He was then placed under arrest for driving while intoxicated. He was taken to police headquarters, processed, and released.

A 59-year-old Trenton resident was pulled over on State Road just after 10:30 p.m. on Jan. 7 after police received complaints about an erratic driver. The man was arrested for driving while intoxicated. He was taken to police headquarters, was processed, and was released.

Active warrants

A 29-year-old Toms River man showed up at the police station in Princeton and turned himself in on Jan. 11 because he was an NCIC Wanted Person out of the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office. He was placed under arrest and processed after the warrant was confirmed to be active. He was later turned over to officers of the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office.

A 24-year-old Princeton resident was arrested just after midnight on Jan. 14 after she was pulled over for speeding on Nassau Street. Police discovered she had multiple active warrants out of the Robbinsville Township and East Windsor municipal courts totaling $2,250. She was placed under arrest, transported to
police headquarters, and processed. She was later released on her own recognizance after being issued several motor vehicle summonses.

On Jan. 18, a 32-year-old man from Bordentown was stopped by police on Nassau Street at about 10:30 a.m. and was found to have an active warrant out of Hamilton for $550. He was arrested, transported to police headquarters, processed, and released pending a new court date.