Police Blotter: Man Arrested After Police Sergeant Allegedly Watches Him Try to Conceal Marijuana

Drug Arrest

A resident of Town Court South in the Avalon Run complex was charged with possession of marijuana over 50 grams, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of drug paraphernalia following his arrest at his home on Saturday, June 18, according to Lt. Charles Edgar, spokesman for Lawrence Township Police Department.

Edgar said police officers were to the apartment of Israel Rivas, 27, in search of another person – a man involved in a domestic disturbance at a different address in Avalon Run. He said police had been told by the victim of the domestic disturbance that her boyfriend might have fled to the home of Rivas, a friend.

While another officer knocked on the front door of Rivas’ apartment, Sgt. Tim Drew went to the rear in case the suspect in the domestic disturbance tried to slip out the back door, Edgar said.

A woman answered the door of the apartment and began speaking to the officer. While the suspect from the domestic disturbance did not make an appearance, Rivas did, Edgar said. He said Rivas went out the back door of the apartment while the woman kept the officer at the front door distracted.

Unaware of Drew’s presence at the rear of his home, Rivas allegedly concealed a bag in a bush near his patio, Edgar said. Drew saw that the bag contained drug paraphernalia and a “green leafy substance” believed to be marijuana, he said.

Rivas was then taken into custody, Edgar said, noting that a later search of the residence revealed about $2,000 in cash and additional drug paraphernalia, including a digital scale.  

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Robbery

A 15-year-old boy from Trenton was arrested about 5:45 p.m. Sunday, June 19, after he was allegedly caught shoplifting and bit the hand of the J.C. Penney department store employee who stopped him, according to Edgar.

Employees at the store at Quaker Bridge Mall in the 3300 block of Brunswick Pike saw the teenager go into a fitting room carrying three pairs of shorts, but come out of the room a few minutes later carrying only two pairs, Edgar said. The room was empty when employees checked it, so a store loss prevention official followed the boy after he walked out of the store.

The employee caught up to the boy and allegedly found the stolen pair of shorts – worth $44 – in the boy’s bookbag, Edgar said. When the employee tried to escort the boy back to the store, the boy allegedly began to resist and, during the resultant scuffle, bit the hand of the employee in an unsuccessful effort to get away.

Edgar said the employee did not require the services of an ambulance. He said the boy was arrested by Officer Bryce Dowers and charged with robbery, simple assault and possession of burglary tools (a cutting device police believe he intended to use to remove security sensors from merchandise).  

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Theft

Officer John Glenn was sent to investigate after police were called at 11:23 a.m. on Monday, June 20, by Lawrence Toyota in the 2800 block of Brunswick Pike (Route 1) reporting that someone had completely removed and stolen the driver’s side door of a 2011 Toyota Camry that had been parked on the dealership’s lot, Edgar said.

He said the thief got inside the car by breaking a vent window on the rear passenger’s side door. The theft took place sometime between the evening of June 18 and the morning of June 20. Damage was estimated at about $5,000, he said.

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Shoplifting

Lisa M. Midura, 25, of the 100 block of Partridge Avenue in Hamilton, was arrested about 1:40 p.m. on Tuesday, June 21, after she allegedly stole 28 items – worth a total of $780 – from the Lord & Taylor department store at Quaker Bridge Mall, Edgar said. He said she allegedly hid the stolen clothing in a reusable shopping bag that she also took from the store. She was followed and detained after she left the store without paying, then was charged with shoplifting by Officer Lauren Laux, according to Edgar.

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Shoplifting

Marisa Ferreira, 30, of Philadelphia was arrested about 6:50 p.m. on Tuesday, June 21, after she allegedly stole a bracelet and two sets of earrings – worth a total of $125 – from the Macy’s department store at Quaker Bridge Mall, Edgar said.

He said Ferreira allegedly put the jewelry in her hand, covered her hand with a shirt, and pretended to go a fitting room to try on the shirt. While in the fitting room, he said, she allegedly put the jewelry in her purse. Leaving the shirt in the fitting room, she walked out and left the store.

She was followed and detained by store loss prevention officers and later charged with shoplifting by Officer Suzanne Girard, he said.

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Theft

A 19-year-old woman from Ewing Township called police at 7:01 p.m. on Tuesday, June 21, to report that someone had just stolen her $500 phone while she was inside the ShopRite supermarket in Mercer Mall in the 3300 block of Brunswick Pike (Route 1), Edgar said. The phone had been sitting in the woman’s purse, which she had placed in a shopping cart she was using. As soon as she realized her phone was missing, the woman checked the store but could not locate the phone, he said, adding that Officer Mark Harmon is investigating.

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Motor Vehicle Accident

A collision between a truck and a car at the intersection of Lawrence Road (Route 206) and Eggerts Crossing Road resulted in the operator of the truck being given a ticket for driving through a red light on Wednesday, June 22, Edgar said.

The accident occurred about 12:55 p.m. when the Peterbilt truck – being operated by Walter Bonczkiewicz Jr., 34, of the 800 block of Spruce Street, Trenton – allegedly drove through the red light while turning left from Eggerts Crossing Road to go north on Route 206 and collided with the Volkswagen Rabbit being driven southbound on Route 206 by Mallory Castagna, 24, of Eldridge Avenue in Lawrence, Edgar said.

Castagna’s car sustained significant front-end damage, though Castagna herself suffered only a small hand injury, he said. He said Officer James Smith investigated the accident and issued the red light ticket to Bonczkiewicz, who was not hurt.

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Criminal Mischief

Officer Thomas Chianese is investigating who sliced and flattened both passenger’s side tires of a 2002 Lexus ES300 while it was parked on Town Court South outside Building 5 of the Avalon Run apartment complex between 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 22, and 9 a.m. on Thursday, June 23, which was when the car’s 27-year-old owner called police to report finding the damage, according to Edgar.

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Theft

Officer Mark Harmon is investigating the theft of a Canon EOS 60D digital camera and lens – valued at about $1,300 – from the shipping and receiving area of Data Color International on Princess Road, Edgar said. The theft, which happened sometime after March 3, was reported to police at 1:50 p.m. on Thursday, June 23.

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Theft

An orange Tony Hawk bicycle belonging to an 8-year-old boy was stolen from the front yard of the boy’s home sometime between noon and 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 23, Edgar said. The theft was reported at 5:22 p.m. that day. The bike was valued at $130. Officer Matthew Grossi is investigating.

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Fraud

Officer Matthew Grossi is working to identify a man who tried to use a fraudulent prescription to obtain 90 Oxycodone pills from the Penlar Pharmacy on Lawrenceville-Pennington Road about 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 23.

A pharmacist grew suspicious about the prescription and researched its validity, Edgar said. The pharmacist called police after learning that the prescription was one of several that had been stolen from a doctor’s office in North Jersey, he said.

The man, apparently realizing that the pharmacist was suspicious, fled before police arrived. He was described as white, with brown eyes, about 24 years old, 5 feet 10 inches tall, wearing a baseball cap, T-shirt and jean.    

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 Sunday, June 19, through Thursday, June 23, 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.