Police Blotter: Unrelated Child Abuse Investigations by Lawrence PD Lead to Arrests of Mother, Grandmother

Child Abuse

A 35-year-old woman who allegedly injured her 12-year-old son and a 78-year-old woman who allegedly hurt her 5-year-old granddaughter were arrested recently as a result of unrelated child abuse investigations, according to Lawrence Township Police Department spokesman Lt. Charles Edgar.

In the first case, he said, police were called to Lawrence Intermediate School about 11:30 a.m. on Monday, April 11, by school administrators after a 12-year-old student went to the school nurse to request an ice pack for bruises on his back. The boy initially told the nurse that he had fallen down some stairs at home, but the nurse did not believe that was how he had been hurt, he said.

Officer Kelly Longo and Detective Dave Burns investigated, with the assistance of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office and the state Division of Youth and Family Services, and learned that the boy’s 35-year-old mother had allegedly struck him as discipline for his accidentally breaking something in their house, Edgar said.

The mother – whose name is being withheld to protect the identity of the 12-year-old – was arrested and charged with child abuse/neglect, he said. The mother was also found to be wanted in connection with outstanding warrants issued by Trenton, Hamilton and Pennington, he added.

In the second case, officials at Slackwood Elementary School called police about 9:15 a.m. on Thursday, April 14, after a bruise was spotted on the neck of a 5-year-old student, Edgar said.

He said Burns was sent to investigate, again with the assistance of the prosecutor’s office and DYFS, and learned that the girl’s 78-year-old grandmother had allegedly grabbed her by the neck because she had failed to follow directions about getting ready for school that morning.

The grandmother – whose name is also being withheld to protect the 5-year-old’s identity – was arrested and charged with child abuse/neglect, according to Edgar.

He said police, the prosecutor’s office and DYFS are still following up on both cases.

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DUI

Jagdeep Athwal, an 18-year-old Toms River resident who is attending Rider University, was arrested on Saturday, April 9, on suspicion of drunken driving, according to Edgar.

Sgt. Chris Longo was driving south on Lawrence Road (Route 206) about 3:30 a.m. when he observed the northbound Honda being driving by Athwal allegedly stop abruptly in the middle of the road, Edgar said. He said Longo turned his police vehicle around and found that Athwal had pulled his car into the parking lot of a business in the 1200 block.

Approaching the car to see if Athwal was in need of any help, Longo allegedly smelled an odor of “alcoholic beverage” on Athwal’s breath, Edgar said. After Longo administered field sobriety tests, Athwal was arrested on charges of driving under the influence and reckless driving, according to Edgar, who noted the Honda was towed from the parking lot.

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Theft

At 12:02 a.m. on Monday, April 11, a 50-year-old resident of Hendrickson Road on The Lawrenceville School campus called police to report that someone had stolen a $300 cell phone belonging to his 15-year-old daughter, Edgar said. The phone was taken while the girl was at the Irwin Dining Hall on the campus over the weekend, he said. Officer Thomas Maple is investigating.

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Fraud

Police and investigators from the Discover credit card company are working to identify the person who unsuccessfully tried to obtain a $7,200 cash advance from an account belonging to a 58-year-old resident of Heritage Way, Edgar said. He said police were alerted to the attempted crime at 2:15 p.m. after the resident was contacted by a fraud investigator from the credit card company who was checking to see if the request for the cash advance was legitimate.

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Terroristic Threats

Detective Joseph Lech IV is investigating who made several threatening phone calls to an executive at the Bristol-Myers Squibb facility on Lawrence Road (Route 206) on Monday, April 11, Edgar said. The phone calls – described as being of a “threatening manner” toward the 59-year-old – were reported to police shortly before 3 p.m. that day, he said.

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Theft

At 3:36 p.m. on Monday, April 11, management of Lancellotta’s Pizza on Lawrence Square Boulevard South reported to township police that a container filled with used cooking oil – worth about $450 – had been stolen from the rear of the restaurant, Edgar said, noting that Officer Suzanne Girard is investigating.

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Investigation

Two girls from the Notre Dame High School track team were running along Lawrence Road (Route 206) about 3:45 p.m. on Monday, April 11, when they were approached by a man on a bicycle who asked them for their phone numbers because “they looked attractive,” Edgar said. The girls – ages 15 and 16 – declined to give the man the information and returned to the school. The man did not make any sexual comments nor did he try to lure the girls anywhere, but they nevertheless thought it was suspicious and reported the encounter to police, Edgar said. He said the man was described as being between 25 and 27 years old. Police are still investigating the incident, he said.

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Investigation

At 10:35 p.m. on Monday, April 11, police received a phone call from a resident of Balsam Court who reported seeing headlights from what appeared to be a car driving on the Green Acres Country Club golf course that sits behind his home. Officers responded to the golf course and found a 2007 Ford Focus near the golf course’s No. 2 hole, Edgar said.

He said the vehicle’s driver, an 80-year-old man from Plainsboro, was in an “altered mental state” and had apparently been driving around the country club property for some time trying to find his way home. He said the man was transported by ambulance to University Medical Center at Princeton to be evaluated.

A check of the golf course property the next morning revealed no significant damage, Edgar said.

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Fraud

At 8:59 a.m. on Wednesday, April 13, a 36-year-old resident of Fountayne Lane called police to report that someone had fraudulently opened up an account in her name with AT&T Wireless sometime late last year, Edgar said. He said the woman became aware of the fraud only when she received a bill from AT&T for almost $600. Officer Thomas Chianese is investigating.

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Fraud

An 85-year-old resident of Ivy Glen Lane walked into the township police station about 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 13, to report that he had been scammed out of over $3,300, Edgar said. He said the man told police he had been contacted by someone claiming he had won a new vehicle, but in order to obtain the auto the elderly man would have to wire money to Jamaica. After sending the money and not receiving the promised vehicle, the 85-year-old realized he had been conned. Detective Todd Caruso is investigating.

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Shoplifting

Police are working to identify a man who stole a $39 pair of flip-flops from the Sears department store at Quaker Bridge Mall in the 3300 block of Brunswick Pike (Route 1) shortly before 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11, Edgar said. He said the man walked in wearing an old pair of flip-flops, which he switched out for a new pair. Leaving his old footwear in a box on the shelf, the man walked out of the store wearing the stolen flip-flops. The man was described as white, 25 to 30 years old, with reddish-brown hair, wearing a green jacket and khacki shorts. Officer Daniel Gladney is investigating.

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Theft

A 38-year-old woman from Princeton contacted police at 2:35 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11, to report that someone stole her jacket and car keys – worth a total of $87 – from the women’s locker room while she was working out at Gold’s Gym on Quakerbridge Road, Edgar said. Officer Sean Kerins was assigned the investigation.

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DUI

Shannon Lamar Coble, 39, of West Lincoln Highway in Penndel, Pa., was charged with driving under the influence and reckless driving Wednesday night, April 13, Edgar said.

Officer Andres Mejia was sent to the parking lot of the Red Roof Inn in the 3200 block of Brunswick Pike (Route 1) to investigate a minor accident in which the Volvo being driven by Coble had struck a parked vehicle, according to Edgar. During the investigation, he said, Coble allegedly had difficulty standing up and speaking and was arrested following field sobriety tests.

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 Monday, April 11, through Wednesday, April 13, 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.