Cops Probe Burglary, Attempted Burglary on Route 206

A Lawrence Township family returned home Monday night (June 13) to find that their house in the 900 block of Lawrence Road (Route 206) had been burglarized.

Police were on the scene quickly, as officers were already in the area investigating an attempted burglary to another house just a few doors away on the opposite side of the street.

Lt. Charles Edgar, spokesman for Lawrence Township Police Department, said police received a call 9:45 p.m. Monday from a 77-year-old resident of the 900 block of Lawrence Road reporting that someone had just used a rock to smash out the glass in the side door of his home. The person apparently fled after realizing the elderly man was home.

Police were investigating that attempted burglary when they got a call at 10:36 p.m. from the owners of another residence in the 900 block of Lawrence Road, he said.

That family had arrived home a few minutes earlier to find that someone had broken into their house by breaking a window in a first-floor hallway, Edgar said.

A check of the residence soon revealed that several thousand dollars worth of jewelry had been stolen, he said, noting that the victims are still in the process of calculating the exact value of all the items that are missing.

Police ask anyone with information about the crimes to call them at (609) 896-1111.

Detectives will be checking for any possible links between Monday night’s crimes and other recent burglaries in the township. (For more on those burglaries, read these earlier stories: “” and “.”)

While windows were broken in both cases Monday night, Edgar reminded residents that it is always good practice to keep windows and doors locked. “You should evaluate the locations where you keep jewelry, and possibly look into keeping high-end items in safe deposit boxes,” he added.

“And if you see anything suspicious, please don’t hesitate – call the police right away,” he said. “If you see something suspicious – suspicious cars parked on your street with people getting out and walking away without going to someone’s house, or people you don’t recognize wandering around private property or going behind your neighbor’s home – call us. Let us check it out. That’s what we’re here for.”

He also recommended that residents take advantage of the police department’s free “house check” program through which officers provide “passing attention” to homes they know are unoccupied.

“If you are going on vacation or will be away for business for a while, call us. Advise us of the length of your absence and we will inspect your house on a regular basis as a crime prevention measure,” he said. Such arrangements can be made by calling (609) 896-1111.