Police Blotter: Man Accused of Sexually Assaulting Child, Thieves Enter Cars, Knife Seized at School...

Sexual Assault

A 40-year-old Lawrence Township man was arrested last week and charged with sexual assault on a child under the age of 13, township police spokesman Lt. Charles Edgar confirmed.

Edgar said police launched an investigation on Friday, March 16, after receiving information from the Lawrence Township school system that the child might have been sexually assaulted. The alleged assault did not happen at the school or involve school personnel.

As a result of the investigation conducted by township Detective Scott Caloiaro, with the assistance of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, the 40-year-old suspect was arrested and charged, Edgar said.

Edgar declined to provide more specific details in an effort to protect the identity of the child involved. But he did confirm that “the victim and the accused are relatives; this was not a situation involving a stranger.”

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Thefts from Vehicles

Loose change and small items, including a wallet, were stolen from four vehicles all parked along Roxboro Road sometime between Sunday evening, March 18, and about 8 a.m. on Monday, March 19, Edgar said, noting that some of the vehicles had been left unlocked overnight by their owners. He said the stolen wallet was later found by a neighborhood resident where it had apparently been discarded after the thief went though it.

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Weapon Offense

Police were called to Lawrence High School at 10:29 a.m. on Tuesday, March 13, after a staff member allegedly found two students in possession of a pocket knife equipped with a 4-inch blade, Edgar said. He said the older student, who is 15, had allegedly brought the knife to school and had handed it over to the younger 14-year-old student.

After spotting the students with the knife, the staff member confiscated it and escorted the boys to the principal’s office, Edgar said, noting that the students never threatened anyone with the knife. He said detectives are following up the matter.

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Investigation

Lawrence High School staff notified police at 12:41 p.m. on Tuesday, March 13, that a 15-year-old student had allegedly been found with a pornographic image on his cell phone, Edgar said. He said Detective Scott Caloiaro is investigating.

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Drug Offense

A Lawrence High School student, Anthony R. Dejessa, 19, of Shirley Lane, was arrested Monday, March 19, after school personnel allegedly found him with marijuana on school property, Edgar said. He said school administrators called police at 11:09 a.m. and Dejessa was charged with possession of under 50 grams of marijuana.

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Recovered Property

Property that had recently been stolen from a vehicle in Princeton Borough was found discarded in Lawrence Township on Saturday, March 17. Edgar said police were called at 5:03 p.m. after some children playing behind Westgate Apartments in the 500 block of Lawrence Road (Route 206) found a backpack and wallet near the Shabakunk Creek.

Edgar said police confirmed the items had been stolen from Princeton Borough which – – had a total of 18 vehicles burglarized on five different streets over the weekend.

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Robbery

A shoplifting turned into a robbery when the alleged thief tried to use force in an unsuccessful attempt to escape capture on Wednesday, March 14, Edgar said.

Staff at the CVS Pharmacy in the 2700 block of Brunswick Pike (Business Route 1) allegedly saw the suspect, 20-year-old Emiah D. Lewis of Commerce Street in Trenton, concealing nearly $300 worth of baby formula and over-the-counter medications in her handbag, Edgar said.

When Lewis went to leave the store without paying, Edgar said, a male employee confronted her and ordered her back inside. Lewis allegedly punched the employee in the head but was unable to escape, he said. Police were called at 1:33 p.m. and she was charged with robbery, he said, adding that the employee declined medical assistance.

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Theft

At 10:40 a.m. on Tuesday, March 20, police were notified that a bag containing a camera, lens, flash unit, battery pack and other accessories – worth a total of about $3,200 – had been stolen from the Diocese of Trenton’s office in the 700 block of Lawrence Road (Route 206), Edgar said, noting that the crime possibly took place between March 8 and 13. There was no evidence of forced entry found, he added.

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Theft

A hammock valued at $50 was stolen from the yard of a home on Glenn Avenue sometime between 7 p.m. on Monday, March 19, and 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 20, Edgar said. The metal base from which the hammock hung was not taken.

Less than an hour after the hammock theft was reported on March 20 the owner of a neighboring house on Glenn Avenue reported to police that – although nothing had been stolen – someone had moved a glass lawn ornament from her rear yard and left it on her front lawn, Edgar said.

He said several juveniles had been spotted in the area that afternoon but it is not yet known if they had anything to do with the hammock theft or the criminal mischief involving the lawn ornament.      

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Theft

Wallets, clothing, a wedding band and other personal items totaling about $620 were stolen after the locks on two lockers were forced open at Gold’s Gym in the 4100 block of Quakerbridge Road on Tuesday, March 13, Edgar said. He said the stolen items belonged to a 50-year-old Lawrence Township resident and a 32-year-old Hamilton Township resident. The crime was reported at 6:26 p.m. that day.

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Shoplifting

Two Hamilton Township residents – Michele Donahue, 40, of the 100 block of Moffat Avenue, and Michael Keane, 23, of the 2200 block of Liberty Street – were arrested about 4:55 p.m. on Tuesday, March 13, and each charged with shoplifting after they allegedly tried to steal nearly $60 worth of items from the CVS Pharmacy in the 1900 block of Brunswick Pike (Business Route 1), Edgar said. He said they allegedly concealed the items in a purse Donahue was carrying. Staff detained them after they allegedly left the store without paying, he said.

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Shoplifting

Danielle Hamilton, 22, of Charles Street, Trenton, was arrested about 11 a.m. on Wednesday, March 14, after she allegedly tried to steal $87 worth of baby formula from the CVS Pharmacy in the 1900 block of Brunswick Pike, Edgar said.

He said pharmacy staff allegedly saw her conceal the formula in her purse. While she did legitimately purchase some items, she allegedly did not pay for the items she had put in her purse and was detained after she left the store, he said.

Edgar said Hamilton was also found to be wanted in connection with an outstanding $2,500 warrant from Lawrence Township.  

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Shoplifting

Police are attempting to identify a man who unsuccessfully tried to steal $280 worth of assorted merchandise from the CVS Pharmacy in the 2700 block of Brunswick Pike about 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 13, Edgar said.

The man allegedly concealed the items under his jacket and set off the alarm sensor when he tried to leave without paying, Edgar said. “An employee approached him, there was a brief verbal exchange and the items fell out of his jacket,” he said.

He said the man fled in a red Jeep. The suspect was described as a while male, 6 feet 3 to 5 inches tall, 220 to 240 pounds, with a medium build.

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, March 13, through Tuesday, March 20, 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.