Police Blotter: Drugs Recovered at School, Wrong Way Driver Arrested...

Driving Under the Influence

Richard J. Kornita, 59, of Old Nassau Road, Monroe Township, was arrested on suspicious of drunk driving on Thursday, March 8, according to Lawrence Township police spokesman Lt. Charles Edgar.

He said officers were sent to the area of Rosedale Road and Carter Road after police received a complaint at 2:37 p.m. about a minivan driving “erratically” with one of its tires flat.

Officer Ed Podbielski located the Dodge Caravan stopped in the middle of Rosedale Road, Edgar said. He said the driver, later identified as Kornita, appeared “disoriented” and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital as a precaution.

He said further investigation by the officer resulted in Kornita being charged with driving under the influence, reckless driving, obstructing traffic and an equipment violation (operating a vehicle with a flat tire).    

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Drug Offense

At 1:41 p.m. on Thursday, March 8, Officer Richard Laird III was sent to Notre Dame High School after administrators at the school contacted police to report that a quantity of marijuana (less than 50 grams) had been recovered on school grounds, Edgar said. School officials turned the marijuana over to police. Thus far, no arrests have been made in connection with the drugs, he said.

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Drug Offense

Michael Abramowicz, 20, of the 100 block of Fountayne Lane, Lawrence Township, was arrested during the early hours of Wednesday, March 7, and charged with possession of under 50 grams of marijuana and possession of marijuana in a vehicle, Edgar said.

He said the Honda Civic being driven by Abramowicz was stopped near the intersection of Gainsboro Road and Lawrence Road (Route 206) after Sgt. Chris Longo noticed that one of the lights on the rear of the vehicle was not operational.

Upon approaching the car to speak to Abramowicz, Longo smelled what he believed was an odor of burnt marijuana from inside the vehicle, Edgar said. He said further investigation revealed that Abramowicz was possession of a cigar that had allegedly been hollowed out and filled with marijuana.

Abramowicz was taken into custody at that time. In addition to being charged with drug possession, Abramowicz received a ticket for the “maintenance of lamps” violation on his car, Edgar said.

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Drug Offense

Fernen F. Tulloch Jr., 22, was charged with possession and use of marijuana and his girlfriend, Amanda M. Baker, 22, was charged with use of marijuana after police and an ambulance were called to Tulloch’s home in the 1900 block of Princeton Avenue about 1:20 a.m. on Saturday, March 3, because Baker had suffered some kind of seizure, Edgar said.

Baker was transported to a local hospital to be checked out and was later released from the hospital, he said. He said police investigated the circumstances of Baker’s seizure and arrested the pair after learning the seizure happened after Baker and Tulloch allegedly used marijuana.

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Driving Under the Influence

Gary V. Mason, 49, of the 600 block of West State Street, Trenton, was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving after police allegedly caught him driving his 2005 Cadillac in the wrong direction on Brunswick Pike (Business Route 1) on Tuesday, March 6, according to Edgar.

He said just moments after police received a complaint at 1:54 a.m. about a vehicle driving “erratically” on Brunswick Pike near Whitehead Road, Sgt. Brian Caloiaro and Officer Erini Papafilipakis spotted Mason’s car allegedly traveling south, directly toward them, in the northbound side of the road.

The officers managed to get Mason to stop his vehicle on Brunswick Pike near Maplewood Avenue, and took Mason into custody after he “exhibited signs of intoxication,” Edgar said.

Mason was charged with driving under the influence, DUI in a school zone, reckless driving, careless driving, refusing to submit to a breath test, failing to maintain a lane, driving the wrong way, improper signaling and obstructing traffic, Edgar said, adding that Mason was also found to be wanted in connection with an outstanding $208 warrant from Trenton.

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Driving Under the Influence

Mark S. Walters, 43, of Holiday Court, Ewing Township, was arrested about 1 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28, and charged with driving under the influence, DUI in a school zone, reckless driving, operating an unregistered vehicle, and having a “maintenance of lamps” violation on the vehicle, Edgar said.

Officer James Larkin stopped Walters’ Mercury Mountaineer on Spruce Street after first spotting the vehicle near the Brunswick Circle and noticing that one of the vehicle’s taillights was out, Edgar said. Walters allegedly smelled of alcohol and was taken into custody after he performed poorly on field sobriety tests, he said.

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Underage Drinking

At 1:26 a.m. on Friday, March 9, police received a call from a resident of Gedney Road reporting that her husband was detaining a young man who had been found on their property, Edgar said.

When officers arrived, Edgar said, the 52-year-old husband told them that he had been watching television when he heard voices near his house. Looking outside, he spotted a young man about 5 feet from his front door. The husband told police he ordered the young man to leave his property. After the young man refused to go, the husband told his wife to call police.

Police soon discovered that the stranger was 18 years old and intoxicated, Edgar said. He said the teenager was apparently trying to walk home after having partied at a home a few doors away from the residence of the 911 callers.

The teenager has thus far been issued a summons for underage drinking, Edgar said, noting that the incident remains under investigation by police.

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Fire

An improperly discarded cigarette is being investigated as the cause of a fire that broke out in an outside trash can and caused minor damaged to the siding of a home on Lanning Avenue, Edgar said. He said the fire was reported at 3:58 p.m. on Sunday, March 11, and was quickly extinguished by township volunteer firefighters.    

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Theft

A wallet was recovered with all its contents intact after an employee of the ShopRite supermarket at Mercer Mall confronted the man who had stolen the wallet from a female shopper shortly before 6 p.m. on Friday, March 9, Edgar said.

The ShopRite employee spotted the man steal the wallet from the unattended purse of a 51-year-old Princeton woman, Edgar said. He said the employee followed the thief and confronted him while he was still in the store, causing the thief to drop the wallet and flee the store. The wallet was, in turn, returned to its owner.

The thief was described as a black male, about 40 years old, 6 feet tall, 220 pounds, wearing a gray pull-over jacket and jeans. He was last seen driving away in a white vehicle, possibly a Mitsubishi bearing a Maryland license plate, Edgar said.

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Theft

A 37-year-old Trenton man called police at 5:29 p.m. on Saturday, March 10, to report that his wallet had been stolen from the jacket of his pocket while he was at Quaker Bridge Mall in the 3300 block of Brunswick Pike (Route 1), Edgar said. He said the man realized his wallet – containing credit cards and about $25 in cash – was missing when he went to pay for some merchandise he had selected in the Champ Sports store. Officer Shaun Sexton is investigating.

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Theft

A 19-year-old Trenton woman who is employed at the Red Roof Inn called police to the motel on Brunswick Pike (Route 1) at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 7, to report that her wallet – containing about $150 – had been stolen from her jacket, which she had left unattended for a short time while she was working, Edgar said. He said Officer Chris Stylianou is investigating.  

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Theft

Residents of a home on Sycamore Court called police at 7:49 a.m. on Saturday, March 3, to report that about $10 in loose change had been stolen from two of their vehicles, a Volkswagen Jetta and a Honda Pilot, that they had left unlocked, Edgar said. He said the crime is believed to have taken place between 8 p.m. on March 2 and 7:30 a.m. on March 3. Officer Kelly Longo is investigating.

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Criminal Mischief

At 1:05 p.m. on Thursday, March 8, an after-school program employee at Saint Ann School on Rossa Avenue called police to report that someone had poured soda all over her car, a 2004 Nissan Maxima, Edgar said, adding that Officer Matthew Grossi is investigating.

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Criminal Mischief

A Rider university student – Connor J. Kruysman, 18, of McAdoo Avenue, Hamilton Township – was arrested shortly before 1 a.m. on Friday, March 9, and charged with criminal mischief after Rider security officials allegedly spotted him puncture the tire of a 1999 Volkswagen Jetta parked on the campus, Edgar said, adding that that Volkswagen belongs to a 19-year-old male. He said Kruysman tried to leave the area in his own vehicle, but was stopped and detained.

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Criminal Mischief

Officer Mark Harmon is investigating who scratched graffiti and an expletive into the surface of a tennis court at the Steward’s Crossing apartment complex off Bunker Hill Road, Edgar said. He said police were notified of the crime at 10:07 a.m. on Monday, March 12.

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Criminal Mischief

A 21-year-old Princeton woman called police at 2:17 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 29, to report that sometime between noon and 2 p.m. that day someone had smashed the driver’s window of her 2001 Ford Explorer while it was parked outside the Applebee’s Grill and Bar restaurant on Brunswick Pike (Route 1), Edgar said, noting that nothing appeared to have been taken from inside the vehicle.

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, Feb. 28, through Monday, March 12, 2012, 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.