Burglaries, Car Thefts, Auto Break-Ins Keep Cops Busy

In addition to the on Saturday, and the early Sunday, Lawrence Township police are busy investigating four burglaries, two car thefts, and three vehicle break-ins that occurred in recent days.

Lt. Charles Edgar, police department spokesman, provided the following details about the crimes.

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Burglary – Johnson Avenue

At 1:14 a.m. on Monday, May 14, a 35-year-old township resident called police to report that he had just returned home and discovered that while he was out someone had burglarized his apartment in the Eggerts Crossing Village complex in the 100 block of Johnson Avenue. Stolen were a 55-inch flat-screen television, a wristwatch and a pair of designer shoes worth an estimated total of $2,450.

The break-in was believed to have taken place between 3:30 p.m. Sunday and the time the victim arrived back home. Police suspect the burglar gained entry to the apartment by way of a rear first-floor window.   

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Burglary – Zoar Street

A 34-year-old resident of Zoar Street called police at 9:56 p.m. on Sunday, May 13, to report that after arriving home she found that her house had been burglarized and a 32-inch flat-screen television stolen. The woman told police she had been away since about 10 a.m. on Saturday. Police believe the burglar used a first-floor window to get inside the home.

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Burglary – Brunswick Avenue

At 9:34 a.m. on Wednesday, May 9, a 21-year-old resident of the 1000 block of Brunswick Avenue called police to report that sometime after he fell asleep around 1 a.m. someone entered his home and stole a brand-new cell phone worth $475. No evidence of forced entry was found.

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Burglary – Lucky 7 Deli

As by Lawrenceville Patch, someone smashed out the glass front door and stole cigarettes, cigars and cash from the Lucky 7 delicatessen, located at the corner of Route 206 (Lawrence Road) and Princeton Avenue during the early morning of Wednesday, May 9. Police officers discovered the crime when they arrived to investigate a burglar alarm system activation at the store that was reported at 2:11 a.m.

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Vehicle Theft – Greenacres Country Club

At 5:10 p.m. on Sunday, May 13, a 57-year-old resident of Scotch Plains Township reported to police that his black, two-door 2011 Mercedes Benz 550SL had been stolen from the parking lot of Greenacres Country Club in the 2100 block of Lawrence Road (Route 206). The man told police he had left the keys inside the unlocked car.

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Vehicle Theft – Red Roof Inn

A 50-year-old man from Trenton arrived at the township police station at 8:09 a.m. Thursday, May 10, to report that his car, a gray, four-door 1995 Buick LeSabre had been stolen from the parking lot of the Red Roof Inn in the 3200 block of Brunswick Pike (Route 1).

The man told police he had gone to the motel with a female “friend.” The woman – known to the man only by her first name – left the motel around 4 a.m. Several hours later, the man realized his car keys were missing. Looking outside, he discovered his car was gone. A friend drove the victim to the police station to report the crime.

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Vehicle Break-In – Altamawr Avenue

A 57-year-old resident of Altamawr Avenue called police at 7:42 a.m. on Monday, May 14, after he discovered that someone had smashed the passenger’s side window of his work truck and stolen a laptop computer and a Dewalt drill worth a total of $1,350. The crime happened sometime between 9 p.m. on Sunday and 7:30 a.m. on Monday.

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Vehicle Break-In – Drift Avenue

A 37-year-old resident of the 200 block of Drift Avenue notified police at 3:56 p.m. on Sunday, May 13, that someone had stolen $1,200 worth of property – including video game consoles, a stereo, and a CB radio – from a motor home parked on her property. The crime happened sometime between May 6 and May 13 and was discovered after the woman noticed that the motor home’s door was ajar.

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Vehicle Break-In – Altamawr Avenue

About $70 worth of cash and loose change was stolen from a 2008 Chevrolet Impala parked on Altamawr Avenue sometime between 10 p.m. on Thursday, May 10, and 7 a.m. on Friday, May 11. The vehicle’s owner, a 63-year-old Altamawr Avenue resident, may have left the vehicle unlocked. The crime was reported to police at 7:50 a.m. on May 11.

All of the above crimes remain under investigation by Lawrence Township police. Anyone with information that could help police solve these crimes is urged to call investigators at (609) 896-1111.