Police Blotter: Drug Arrests, DUIs, Weapon Arrest, and Aggravated Assault Stand Out in Lawrence Crime Log

Listed below are details – as released by Lt. Charles Edgar, spokesman for the Lawrence Township Police Department – about some of the more noteworthy arrests made and crimes investigated in recent weeks by township police:

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Marijuana Possession

Louis Alvarado, 21, of Chase Street, Trenton, was arrested about 1 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 21, and charged with possession of marijuana under 50 grams, having a controlled dangerous substance (CDS) in a vehicle, and operating a vehicle with a suspended license, Edgar said.

The vehicle being driven by Alvarado was pulled over at Brunswick Pike and Maplewood Avenue by Officers Joseph Radlinsky and Sean Kerins, who were investigating a report of a “suspicious vehicle” that had been seen at the dead end of Cherry Tree Lane a few minutes earlier, Edgar said. Upon speaking to Alvarado, he said, the offers allegedly smelled an odor of burnt marijuana and also observed a small quantity of suspected marijuana inside the vehicle.

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Weapon Possession

Harry D. Hampton Jr., 19, of the 100 block of Sweets Avenue, Trenton, was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose after he was allegedly found carrying an 8-inch steak knife about 12:45 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 21, according to Edgar.

He said Hampton and a companion, Rashaad Antoine Bethea, 26, of the 300 block of West State Street, Trenton, were also found to be wanted in connection with outstanding warrants.

It was late Thursday night, Oct. 20, when Sgt. Chris Longo spotted Hampton and Bethea walking in the 2800 block of Princeton Avenue. Longo, driving by in a marked police car, noticed in his rearview mirror the two allegedly run off as soon as he went by. Finding that action to be suspicious, Longo directed other officers to search the area for the pair, Edgar said.

Edgar said Bethea was located at about midnight near the New Jersey Lottery Commission building off Brunswick Avenue. He said Bethea was taken into custody after he was found to be wanted on a warrant from Hamilton Township.

Hampton, meanwhile, was eventually spotted hiding behind the dialysis center located opposite the QuickChek convenience store at Brunswick Circle Extension and Princeton Avenue, Edgar said. Hampton had taken off his red hooded jacket and hidden it nearby, he said.

Hampton was arrested after he was found to wanted on warrants and was then charged with the weapon offenses after the knife was found in his possession, Edgar said.

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Burglary

At 8:12 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20, a 30-year-old resident of Gainsboro Road called police to report that about $1,900 worth of property – including two digital cameras and an amplifier and speakers for an electric piano – had been stolen from his first-floor apartment, Edgar said. He said no evidence of forced entry was found to the residence.

The burglary took place something between Monday, Oct. 17, and the morning of Oct. 20, Edgar said. He said the man’s wife told police she returned home from work on the afternoon of Oct. 18 to find the front door ajar but she didn’t think anything of it and did not check to see if anything was missing at that time.

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Marijuana Possession  

Bryan J. Goldrich, 19, of Oakes Road, Little Silver, was arrested at Rider University about 1:50 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 16, and charged with possession of marijuana under 50 grams and possession or drug paraphernalia, Edgar said.

Edgar said police were summoned to the campus in the 2000 block of Lawrence Road (Route 206) after Rider University security officers allegedly found a small quantity of suspected marijuana in Goldrich’s room in the Olson residence hall.

Security had originally gone to the dorm room to investigate a complaint about underage drinking, he said, noting that Goldrich’s roommate – whose name was not released – was issued a township summons for underage possession of alcohol.

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Driving Under the Influence

Eric A. Veale, 44, of West Long Drive, Lawrence, was arrested about 1 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 16, and charged with driving under the influence, reckless driving, driving with a suspended license, and failing to signal a turn, Edgar said.

Officer Marc Poveromo stopped the 2011 Lexus that Veale was driving after he allegedly observed Veale, driving south on Brunswick Pike (Business Route 1) stop abruptly and turn onto Allegheny Avenue without signaling, Edgar said. He said Veale allegedly had an odor of alcohol on his breath while he spoke to the officer.

After performing poorly on field sobriety tests, Veale was taken into custody on suspicion of drunk driving, Edgar said.  

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Driving Under the Influence

Michael E. Brower, 45, of Denow Road, Lawrence, was arrested about 10:20 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15, and charged with driving under the influence, reckless driving and failing to maintain a lane, Edgar said.

Officer Chris Stylianou, in the neighborhood to investigate a complaint about an erratic driver, pulled over the van Brower was driving after allegedly spotting Brower having a “hard time keeping his vehicle in the lane of travel,” Edgar said. He said Brower had an odor of alcohol on his breath and was taken into custody on suspicion of drunk driving.

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Heroin Possession

Jaclyn Apgar, 28, of the 700 block of Lake Drive, Lawrence, was arrested about 10 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 13, and charged with heroin possession, possession of a hypodermic syringe, possession of drug paraphernalia and receiving stolen property, Edgar said.

Police officers, sent to investigate a report of a woman possibly passed out inside a car parked in the lot of the McDonald’s restaurant off Brunswick Circle Extension, found Apgar in the front passenger seat of her Saab, Edgar said. He said she was conscious and spoke to officers.

When she went to pull out her driver’s license to prove her identity, officers spotted a syringe in her purse, Edgar said. He said Apgar allegedly tried to conceal a small package of suspected heroin in her waistband when she was ordered out of the vehicle by police. In addition to the drug offenses, he said, Apgar was charged with having stolen license plates on her car.

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Drug Investigation     

At 9:49 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 11, township police were called to the Rider University campus after Rider security officers, while performing a fire safety inspection, discovered a small quantity of marijuana, some drug paraphernalia and several bottles of liquor inside a room in the Kroner residence hall, Edgar said. He said police were working with university officials to identify to whom the items belonged.  

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Aggravated Assault

Marcin Rutkowski, 28, of the 700 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, Trenton, was arrested about 6:45 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 9, and charged with aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, criminal mischief and hindering apprehension, Edgar said.

He said Rutkowski allegedly used a baseball bat to strike a 30-year-old Myrtle Avenue resident in the left arm during a fight near the corner of Myrtle Avenue and Brunswick Avenue. He said Rutkowski allegedly tried to hit the victim a second time with the bat but missed and instead struck a parked car.

After the 30-year-old was knocked to the ground by Rutkowski’s first blow, he was allegedly kicked in the head by another man, Tomasz Jagoda, 25, of 6th Avenue, Hamilton, according to Edgar. He said Jagoda was also arrested and charged with aggravated assault.

Edgar said the 30-year-old victim lost consciousness during the attack and was transported by ambulance to Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton for treatment of his injuries.

The fight allegedly stemmed from a disagreement between the 30-year-old and another man who was not arrested, Edgar said. He explained that the hindering charged was filed because Rutkowski allegedly offered a false name to police when they asked him his identity.

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Marijuana Possession

Cassandra R. Robinson, 20, was arrested about 4:45 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 9, and charged with possession of marijuana under 50 grams and possession of drug paraphernalia after police responded to her home on Joyner Court in the Lawrence Square Village development to investigate a report about a woman screaming, Edgar said.

Robinson had allegedly had an argument with her boyfriend and while she was standing in her doorway, allegedly refusing to cooperate with police, an officer spotted a bong – commonly used to smoke marijuana – within view behind her, Edgar said. He said Robinson tried to close the door, but Officer Bruce Miller used his foot to block the door.

Robinson was arrested after a subsequent search of the house revealed a small amount of suspected marijuana, Edgar said.

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Driving Under the Influence

Thomas J. Hubble, 23, of the 100 block of Franklin Corner Road, Lawrence, was arrested about 10:45 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 6, and charged with driving under the influence, DUI in a school zone, reckless driving and failure to maintain a lane, Edgar said.

He said Officer Chris DiMeglio, responding to investigate a complaint about an erratic driver, stopped Hubble’s 2000 Jeep Cherokee after allegedly witnessing the sport utility vehicle weaving in and out of its lane of travel.

DiMeglio allegedly detected an odor of alcohol on Hubble’s person and ordered him to perform some field sobriety tests, Edgar said. Based on Hubble’s performance on those tests, he was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, he said.

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Driving Under the Influence

Russell L. Galiber, 57, of the 1200 block of Stuyvesant Avenue, Trenton, was arrested about 11:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5, and charged with driving under the influence, reckless driving, operating an uninsured and unregistered vehicle, and failing to yield, according to Edgar.

He said Officer Bruce Miller stopped Galiber’s 1993 Dodge Dakota pickup truck on Brunswick Pike near Puritan Avenue after Galiber allegedly field to yield to another vehicle on the Brunswick Traffic Circle. During the course of that routine traffic stop, he said, Miller allegedly smelled an odor of alcohol coming from Galiber.

Galiber was taken into custody on suspicion of drunk driving after he allegedly performed poorly on field sobriety tests, Edgar said.

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Marijuana Possession

Matthew Smith, 18, of the 100 block of Franklin Corner Road, Lawrence, was arrested about 9:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4, and charged with possession of marijuana under 50 grams and possession of drug paraphernalia after police responded to Veterans Park to check a report that people were in the park stacking picnic tables on top of one another, Edgar said.

When officers arrived, he said, they found at least three people in the park and that two tables had been piled atop one another to allow at least two of the individuals to climb onto the roof of the park pavilion. While interviewing the three, he said, officers smelled an odor of marijuana coming from the 1999 Toyota Camry Smith had driven to the park.

Smith was arrested after officers found a small quantity of marijuana inside the car, along with a pipe commonly used to smoke marijuana, Edgar said. He said Smith, as well as the other two individuals (whose names were not released), were issued summonses for violating a township ordinance by being in the park after dark.

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Drug Paraphernalia

Orlando E. Rodriguez, 25, of Miami, Fla., was arrested about 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4, and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia after the vehicle he was driving was stopped in the 2300 block of Princeton Pike, Edgar said.

Sgt. Chris Longo, who was on patrol in the area, stopped Rodriguez’s 1994 Chevrolet after he observed the vehicle pull out of a driveway at a high rate of speed without first stopping to check for other traffic. Upon interviewing Rodriguez, Longo allegedly smelled an odor of burnt marijuana coming from the interior of the vehicle, Edgar said.

He said officers searched the vehicle and found a pipe similar to those commonly used to smoke marijuana. In addition to the drug paraphernalia charge, he said, Rodriguez was charged with careless driving.

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Heroin Possession

Margerline Green, 40, of the 400 block of West State Street, Trenton, was arrested at 12:41 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 3, and charged with possession of heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a hypodermic needle, Edgar said.

He said Sgt. Chris Longo was on patrol when he allegedly saw Green staggering along Cherry Tree Lane talking loudly to herself. Longo stopped to check on her welfare and, in doing so, asked her for identification. As she was pulling out her ID, Edgar said, Longo saw that she was in possession of some copper mesh, a spoon and several wax paper envelopes – all suggestive of drug use.

Further investigation revealed the wax paper envelopes contained suspected heroin, Edgar said. He said it was also learned that Green was wanted in connection with multiple outstanding warrants. 

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Theft

At 4:49 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 2, a 62-year-old resident of Fairfield Avenue called police to report that a bag containing bank statements and check stubs had been stolen from her unlocked 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier.

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Driving Under the Influence

Sean Watson, 43, of Fairway Court, Lawrence Township, was arrested about 7:45 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, and charged with driving under the influence, reckless driving, and having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle, Edgar said.

Edgar said officers were in the area of Lawrenceville-Pennington Road investigating a complaint about an “erratic driver” when they spotted Watson – driving a Saturn – allegedly stop abruptly before making a turn on Manor Boulevard. He said officers allegedly smelled an odor of alcohol on Watson’s person after they stopped his car. He said Watson was taken into custody on suspicion of drunk driving after he performed poorly on field sobriety tests.

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Shoplifting

Police are working to identify two men who tried to steal more than $3,200 worth of Ralph Lauren sweatshirts from the Macy’s department store at Quaker Bridge Mall in the 3300 block of Brunswick Pike (Route 1) about 6:40 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29, Edgar said.

He said the men tried to exit the store with a laundry bag stuffed with 33 Polo sweatshirts but were confronted by a store loss prevention officer. The men dropped the bag and fled into the parking lot. They were last seen speeding away in a black four-door car.      

Both men were described as black. One was about 6 feet tall and 175 pounds, wearing a long-sleeve gray plaid shirt and jeans. The other was 5 feet 7 to 9 inches tall, 175 to 180 pounds wearing two shirts – one black, the other red – and jeans.  

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Dog Bite

At 12:11 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 28, police were notified a 16-year-old girl had been treated at Capital Health System’s Mercer hospital in Trenton for a dog bite that she had suffered on Kent Court earlier that night, Edgar said.

The girl had been visiting a friend’s house when the dog, belonging to a neighbor of the friend, got loose. The girl and her friend went around trying to help the neighbor find the dog. When they finally did locate the animal, the 16-year old was bitten on her right calf, Edgar said.

He said Officer Shawn Sudol took a report on the incident and referred the matter to the township’s animal control officer.

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 Tuesday, Sept. 27, to Friday, Oct. 21, 2011, 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.

See Also:

Oct. 23 -

Oct. 18 -

Oct. 8 - More Burglaries Reported, But Police Arrest 2 Suspects

Oct. 3 -

Sept. 30 -

Sept. 27 -

Sept. 27 - Car Worth $148,000 Stolen from Lawrence Dealership

Sept. 27 -

Sept. 26 -          

Sept. 22 -

Sept. 20 -

Sept. 16 - Home on Lawn Park Avenue Burglarized, Ransacked

Sept. 15 - Attempted Burglary at Captain Paul's & Two Other Burglaries Under Investigation by Lawrence PD

Sept. 15 -

Sept. 14 - $10,000 Worth of Property Stolen from Lawrence Twp. Family Left Homeless by Hurricane Irene Flood Waters

Sept. 14 - Stolen Bicycle Found in Possession of 13-Year-Old

Sept. 13 -

Sept. 8 -

Aug. 19 -

Aug. 19 -

Aug. 17 -