Police Blotter: Over $8,000 in Jewelry Stolen in Burglary

Burglary

The theft of more than $8,000 worth of jewelry during a burglary to a residence on Cold Soil Road is under investigation by Lawrence Township detectives, police department spokesman Lt. Mark Ubry said.

The crime – believed to have taken place between 8:15 and 10:45 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 24, while no one was home – was discovered about 5:30 p.m. when the homeowner returned from work and discovered that his bedroom had been ransacked and a jewelry box was missing, Ubry said, noting that the man’s wife had gotten home earlier but hadn’t yet gone into the bedroom.

No evidence of forced entry was found to the residence, he said. Detective Todd Caruso and Officer Steve Simon are leading the investigation.

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Attempted Burglary

An attempted burglary at an apartment on Fieldcrest Court, in the Steward’s Crossing development off Bunker Hill Road, is also under investigation, Ubry said.

A resident of the apartment reported to police that he was awakened about 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 25, by banging on the front door. Looking through the door’s peephole, the resident allegedly saw two men trying to force the door open. When the resident – speaking through the door – asked the men what they were doing, they ran off, Ubry said, citing the resident’s account to police.

The resident did not report the crime until 11:41 a.m., explaining to police that he had first wanted to consult his roommate.

Ubry said police found pry marks on the exterior of the door. He said the resident told police the two men were about 18 to 25 years old, but he could not offer any better descriptions of them.

Detective Kevin Reading and Officer Thomas Everist are investigating.    

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Vehicle Theft

A resident of Town Court North, in the Avalon Run apartment complex, contacted police at 5:40 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 28, to report that his black 2006 Suzuki GSX motorcycle had been stolen from the parking lot outside Building 4, Ubry said.

The resident, who had been away, told police the motorcycle was stolen sometime between 8 a.m. on Sept. 17 and 10 p.m. on Sept. 27, Ubry said, adding that the motorcycle was valued at $5,000.

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Driving Under the Influence / Weapon Offense

Gerardo Lucero-Marin, 30, of Lacey, Wash., was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, DUI in a school zone, reckless driving and failure to maintain a lane after the pickup truck he was driving was stopped in the 2400 block of Brunswick Pike (Business Route 1) about 11:45 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 23, according to Ubry.

Officer James Larkin Jr. initiated a traffic stop because, while in the area of Brunswick Pike and Slack Avenue, he observed Lucero-Marin’s pickup allegedly drifting in and out of its lane of travel, Ubry said.

During the stop, Larkin spotted brass knuckles in plain view within the vehicle, Ubry added, explaining that because brass knuckles are illegal in New Jersey Lucero-Marin was also charged with possession of a prohibited weapon.

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Driving Under the Influence

Ronald Green, 26, of Hermitage Avenue, Trenton, was charged with driving under the influence and other offenses after his vehicle was stopped by police for allegedly speeding on the Trenton Freeway (Route 1), according to Ubry.

Officer Andres Mejia was conducting a radar traffic enforcement on the Freeway when, at about 12:35 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29, he clocked Green’s vehicle traveling 83 mph in an area where the posted speed limit is 55 mph, Ubry said.

Mejia initiated the traffic stop and, on approaching Green’s vehicle, allegedly detected a strong odor of alcohol and spotted in the vehicle an open cup filled with what later was determined to be cognac, Ubry said.

He said Green was arrested after performing poorly on field sobriety tests and was subsequently charged with DUI, reckless driving, speeding, failure to maintain a lane, having an open container of alcohol in his vehicle, driving with a suspended license and being an unlicensed driver.   

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Drug Offense

Nicholas Cannon, 21, of Eldridge Avenue, Lawrence, was charged with possession of under 50 grams of marijuana after he was allegedly found with the illegal drug in his vehicle in Central Park off Eggerts Crossing Road, Ubry said.

He said Officer Sean Kerins made the arrest while investigating what the auto was doing in the park after hours. In addition to the drug possession charge, Cannon was cited for violating township ordinance by being in the park after it was closed for the night, he said.

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Robbery / Shoplifting

Joseph Ramsey, 49, of Princeton Avenue, Trenton, was arrested Sunday, Sept. 30, and charged with robbery and shoplifting after he struggled with Lord & Taylor and Quaker Bridge Mall security guards after they stopped him for allegedly trying to steal watches and candy worth about $470 from the department store at the mall, Ubry said.

When the guards went to stop him from leaving the Lord & Taylor shortly before 7 p.m., Ramsey allegedly tried to push past them, resulting in he and the guards falling to the ground, Ubry said. He said the guards struggled with Ramsey and detained him until police Sgt. Michael Yeh arrived and took him into custody.

At the same time, a second man, Brian McKoy, 31, of West State Street, Trenton, allegedly fled the Lord & Taylor store with about $650 worth of stolen watches, women’s shoes and other items but he was located near Grovers Mill and Quakerbridge roads a short time later and taken into custody by Detective Robert Potter, Ubry said.

He said McKoy was charged with shoplifting and held in connection with outstanding warrants from other municipalities.

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Theft

During the afternoon of Thursday, Sept. 27, a Garmin GPS unit and assorted change totaling about $209 were stolen from a Honda Accord belonging to a Bucks County, Pa., woman while it was parked in Lot E of Quaker Bridge Mall in the 3300 block of Brunswick Pike (Route 1), Ubry said, noting that police found pry marks on the frame of one of the car’s doors.

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Theft

A tailgate worth $1,700 was stolen from a 2012 Ford F250 pickup truck parked in the lot of the Lawrenceville Ford Lincoln Mercury auto dealership in the 2900 block of Brunswick Pike (Route 1) sometime between 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 28, and 10 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 1, Ubry said.

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, Sept. 23, through Wednesday, Oct. 3, 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.

See Also:

• Oct. 4: "Do You Recognize These Burglary Suspects?"
• Oct. 1: ""
• Oct. 1: "Morris County Man Killed in Three-Vehicle Crash on Interstate 95"
• Sept. 27: "Photos: Woman Freed From Fackler Road Wreck"
• Sept. 27: "Afternoon Burglars Enter Homes Via Unlocked Doors"
• Sept. 27: ""

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