Police Blotter: Driver Charged With DUI After Falling Asleep Behind the Wheel in Middle of Interstate 95

Driving Under the Influence

Gregg Melvin, 40, of Ewing Township, was arrested about 2:15 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 3, and charged with driving under the influence, reckless driving, obstructing traffic and operating a vehicle with no insurance, according to Lawrence Township police spokesman Lt. Mark Ubry.

He said Officer Steve Simon was on patrol when he came upon Melvin’s vehicle stopped in the right southbound lane of Interstate 95, near Route 206, with its brake lights on. Simon activated his patrol car’s warning lights in an effort to get the driver’s attention.

When that failed, Simon exited his patrol car, approached Melvin’s vehicle on its passenger side and tapped on the window. Melvin did not respond so Simon moved to the driver’s side and tapped on that window. That, according to Ubry, prompted Melvin – who had been sleeping – to wake up.

In doing so, Melvin lifted his foot off the brake and the vehicle started to move. Simon ordered Melvin to step on the brake again but he did not comply, prompting Simon to open the driver’s door, jump on the vehicle and shut off the ignition, Ubry said.

Melvin, who smelled of alcohol, was taken into custody at that time, he said.

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Drug Offense

Vicente A. Osorio, 18, of Birch Avenue, Princeton, was arrested about 3:20 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 3,  and charged with possession of marijuana under 50 grams and possession of drug paraphernalia after police responded to investigate a complaint about a disturbance at the Crystal Diner on Brunswick Pike (Business Route 1), Ubry said.

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Drug Offense

Jason Glenn, 34, of Hart Avenue, Trenton, was arrested about 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 30, and charged with possession of marijuana under 50 grams, possession of a controlled dangerous substance in a vehicle, and a vehicle equipment violation, Ubry said.

He said Sgt. Tim Drew and Officer Ryan Dunn stopped the vehicle Glenn was driving in the area of Route 1 North and Grovers Mill Road after noticing that one of the vehicle’s brake lights was out. Upon approaching the vehicle, the officers spotted marijuana in plain view and took Glenn into custody, he said.

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Drug Offense

Julian Rodriguez, 19, of Puritan Avenue, Lawrence, was arrested about 5:40 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 5, and charged with possession of marijuana under 50 grams and possession of prescription medication without a prescription after the vehicle in which he was riding as a passenger was stopped by police on Brunswick Pike (Business Route 1) near Bunker Hill Avenue after it was observed making an improper right turn against a red traffic signal, Ubry said.

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Theft

Two vehicles parked on Johnson Avenue were broken into during the early morning hours of Sunday, Feb. 3, Ubry said, noting that one of the vehicles had been left unlocked and the other was entered after a window was smashed. Stolen were a wallet containing cash and a new pair of sneakers valued at $95, Ubry said. The sneakers were later found discarded in the area, he said.

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Disorderly Conduct

William Adams, 27, of Carroll Street, Trenton, was arrested about 8:25 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 30, and charged with disorderly conduct, making terrorist threats, and simple assault, according to Ubry.

He said police were called to CVS Pharmacy at the corner of Darrah Lane East and Brunswick Pike (Business Route 1) to investigate a complaint about a man harassing customers there.  When officers arrived, they learned that the man – later identified as Adams – had relocated to the Lawrence branch of the Mercer County Library across the street.

Officers located Adams at the front of the library where, Ubry said, he was yelling and cursing at library patrons and making them afraid to enter the building. One woman told officers that Adams pushed her 4-year-old son as he was walking up the steps and made a threatening remark to her.

Based on the officers’ observations and the allegations made by the mother, Adams was taken into custody, Ubry said, noting that Adams was later found to be wanted in connection with an outstanding warrant from Trenton.

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Harassment

Kimberly Turner, 25, of the Lawrenceville Garden apartments in the 100 block of Franklin Corner Road, Lawrence Township, was arrested about 3:35 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 2, and charged with harassment, obstruction, and resisting arrest, as well as a township noise ordinance violation, according to Ubry.

He said police received a call at 3:07 a.m. from a resident of the complex reporting that her neighbor was playing her television too loud. Officer James Larkin Jr. spoke to the neighbor – Turner – and asked her to turn down the TV, which she did.

A short time later, the original caller contacted police again to complain that someone was repeatedly ringing her doorbell, Ubry said. Larkin returned to the complex and, while keeping the building under surveillance, saw Turner open her apartment door, lean out and ring the doorbell of her neighbor, he said.

Larkin confronted Turner and advised her that she was being charged with violating the township noise ordinance and that he was beginning a harassment investigation. At that point, Ubry said, Turner became argumentative and uncooperative. Larkin then took her into custody for obstruction, prompting her to resist and unsuccessfully try to pull away from the officer, he said.

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Theft

At 7:03 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 2, police were notified that construction equipment valued at about $5,500 had been stolen from an address on Eggerts Crossing Road, Ubry said, noting that the crime occurred sometime after 3 p.m. on Jan. 31.

Anyone with information about any of the above crimes is asked to call Lawrence Township police at (609) 896-1111.

A copy of Lawrence Township's police dispatch log for Wednesday, Jan. 30, through Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2013, can be viewed from the PDF box above. This log lists all significant calls for service and incidents for which officers filed a written report. Routine administrative assignments are omitted. Some data has been redacted to protect the identity of crime victims.