Princeton police blotter: Stalking arrest, affordable housing rental fraud, bias graffiti, Apple fraud schemes, mail theft

Princeton police officers recently responded to a stalking arrest, an alleged rental assistance fraud scheme, a reported bias incident, and multiple thefts, according to the latest police blotter.

On April 8, police arrested Grace Mattera, 23, of Princeton on a stalking charge after officers were called to a local business on North Harrison Street at about 10:07 a.m. According to police, the victim reported that Mattera, a former co-worker who had previously been charged with stalking, was seen waiting in the parking lot of the victim’s workplace. Police said Mattera left the area before officers arrived, but during the investigation admitted she had been there and was intentionally observing the victim to see whether police would be called. Mattera was charged with stalking, processed, and transported to the Mercer County Correctional Center.

In a separate case reported the same day, police are investigating what they described as a significant fraud involving a local housing organization headquartered on Mercer Street. The housing organization, Housing Initiatives of Princeton, reported that between February and April, five fraudulent rental assistance applications were submitted using similar information. Four of the applications were approved, and payments totaling about $13,860 were issued to landlords police say may be fictitious. Police said the applications included inconsistencies such as altered driver’s license information and matching patterns among applicants. Investigators also found a separate unauthorized debit of $13,296.23 from the organization’s bank account. The bank later reimbursed that amount. No suspects have been identified, and the investigation remains ongoing.

On April 9, officers responded to a report of graffiti on a park bench near the basketball courts on North Harrison Street. Police said officers found what they described as a symbol of hate and a derogatory remark drawn in white marker on a picnic bench. The bias incident investigation remains ongoing.

Also on April 9, police arrested Bryce Wilson, 47, of Princeton on a defiant trespass charge after officers were called to a business on Nassau Street for an unwanted person complaint. According to police, Wilson admitted entering the business despite having previously been issued a persona non grata notice barring him from the property. He was issued a complaint summons and released pending a mandatory court appearance.

Police reported a suspected shoplifting on April 12 at a business on North Harrison Street, where an unidentified man allegedly concealed two bottles of wine in his jacket, entered a restroom, and later left without paying. The bottles were later found empty in a restroom trash can. The value of the items was about $34.10.

Police are also investigating a bicycle theft reported on April 12 at a residential complex on Albert Way. The victim told officers that a black-and-red Guardian 26-inch bicycle valued at $424.37 was taken from a secured storage area sometime between March 13 and April 12. Police said the bicycle had not been locked at the time it was last seen.

A Terhune Road resident reported a fraudulent Apple purchase totaling $1,598.31 made with a Chase Bank debit card. The unauthorized transaction, which was scheduled for pickup at the Quaker Bridge Mall Apple store, was discovered when the resident reviewed a bank statement. Police said there was no monetary loss at the time of the report.

Officers investigated a major fraud scheme reported on April 3 on Erdman Avenue. According to police, the victim said she was contacted in January by someone posing as Apple Financial Support who falsely claimed there had been an unauthorized $25,000 transaction on her account. Police said the victim was instructed to withdraw money and deposit it into Bitcoin ATMs to avoid arrest. In early March, she was contacted again by people posing as federal prosecutors who claimed she was implicated in a fraud investigation and was placed on a no-fly list. She then mailed a $9,000 check for what she was told was legal representation. The victim’s total reported loss was $33,000.

On April 5, officers responded to Moore Street for a three-car crash with no injuries and arrested Aldon Alonzo-Lopez, 24, of Princeton on a charge of driving while intoxicated. Police said Alonzo-Lopez was also charged with refusal to submit to breath testing after failing to provide adequate breath samples, along with multiple motor vehicle violations. He was later released to a sober adult pending court.

That same day, a Province Line Road resident reported that an unknown person gained unauthorized access to her Bank of America account and conducted multiple fraudulent transactions totaling about $1,303.83 at locations in New Jersey and California. Police also responded on April 5 to a criminal mischief complaint on Nassau Street after a resident discovered damage to a mailbox door. Nothing was reported stolen.

On April 6, police began investigating a reported theft and forgery on Murray Place after a resident said a check had been stolen either from the United States Postal Service or a residential mailbox and fraudulently used, resulting in a loss of about $4,713.