Crime & Safety

Five New Burglaries Reported Since Feb. 19

Items stolen during latest Lawrence Township break-ins include jewelry, electronics and $300 worth of assorted beer, wine and liquor.

Five new burglaries that were reported to authorities between Feb. 19 and yesterday (Feb. 27) are under investigation by township detectives, Lawrence Township police spokesman Lt. Charles Edgar confirmed.

Two of the break-ins occurred in the northern half of the township and were reported less than 14 hours apart, while the other three took part in the southern half of town and were reported on the same day.

It was 10:39 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 19, when a 49-year-old resident of Gordon Avenue called police after he returned home and found that more than $7,000 worth of property, including jewelry and small electronics, had been stolen, Edgar said. The burglary was believed to have taken place earlier that evening, he said, noting that entry to the residence was gained by way of a first-floor window.

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The following day, Monday, Feb. 20, a 46-year-old resident of Laurel Wood Drive called police at 12:11 p.m. to report that he and his family had just gotten home after being away for a couple days to find that their house had been ransacked and several thousand dollars worth of their possessions – including jewelry, a computer and other electronics– had been stolen, according to Edgar. He said the burglar or burglars got inside by breaking out a basement window.

At 8:18 a.m. yesterday, Monday, Feb. 27, a passing motorist called police to report that it looked as if the front door of the had been broken in, Edgar said. He said officers responded to the business in the 1600 block of Princeton Avenue and confirmed that a burglary had taken place. Details about what was stolen were not available today, as the owner of the business was still conducting an inventory, Edgar said.

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At 1:36 p.m. yesterday, police were notified that a storage container had been broken into at Princeton Pike Office Park at 3131 Princeton Pike. Edgar said the lock had been cut off of the container, which is used by a snow removal contractor to store equipment. The break-in occurred sometime between Feb. 7 and yesterday, he said, adding that details about what was stolen were not yet available. Three snowblowers were stolen when the same container was .

And at 5:34 p.m. yesterday, a 53-year-old resident of Lumar Road reported to police that a leaf blower valued at $100 and about $300 worth of assorted beer, wine and liquor had been stolen from her garage sometime within the previous week, according to Edgar. Entry was believed to have been gained through an unlocked garage door, he said.

While officers were on the scene investigating the Lumar Road break-in, residents of a home next door advised police that someone had recently damaged a fence post and the latch on a fence gate on their property, Edgar said. He said officers took a report for criminal mischief and detectives are investigating if that damage is related to the burglary next door.


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