Crime & Safety

Lawrence Police Say Burglars Were Caught in the Act

Two men from Robbinsville Township were charged with burglary and theft after police allegedly found them trying to steal copper pipes and other materials from inside a vacant building on Quakerbridge Road.

Investigating a tip about a possible burglary in progress, Lawrence Township police officers caught two men as they were allegedly trying to steal copper pipes and other materials from a vacant building Tuesday evening.

The suspects – Christian J. Nemeth, 20, of Cornflower Drive, Robbinsville, and Joseph G. Skurjunis, 20, of Hillside Drive, Robbinsville – were each charged with burglary, theft and possession of burglary tools, according to Lawrence Township police spokesman Lt. Charles Edgar.

Edgar said police received information shortly before 11 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 31, that an unoccupied building in the 4100 block of Quakerbridge Road was in the process of being burglarized.

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Officers responded and, seeing a vehicle parked nearby, surrounded the building. Upon going inside, they could hear banging noises and see flashlights moving around in the darkness, Edgar said.     

As they got closer, officers found Nemeth and Skurjunis allegedly using tools to remove copper pipes and other “scrapable” materials, Edgar said. He said they were taken into custody without incident.    

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Edgar said detectives are still working to determine if Nemeth and Skurjunis can be identified as suspects in any of the other recent burglaries to occur in Lawrence Township.


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