Crime & Safety

Police Chase Started in Lawrence Ends in Man's Arrest

The suspect, a 42-year-old East Windsor resident, was wanted in connection with an alleged domestic violence incident in Freehold Township.

A police pursuit of a car being driven by a man suspected of being armed with a gun following an alleged domestic violence incident in Monmouth County briefly involved Lawrence Township police early this morning (Friday, Dec. 7).

While Lawrence Township police ended their involvement in the chase soon after it entered Hamilton Township, the suspect – identified as Michael Scholander, 42, of Dennison Drive, East Windsor – was eventually stopped and taken into custody in East Windsor, according to Lawrence Township police spokesman Detective Sgt. Joseph Amodio.

It was 12:17 a.m. today when Lawrence Township police received a call from authorities in Freehold Township seeking help locating Scholander who, Lawrence police were told, had been involved in a domestic violence incident during which a gun was possibly displayed, Amodio said.

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Specific details about the incident were not immediately available from Freehold Township police, but Lawrence Township police said they were told the alleged crime occurred at Freehold Raceway Mall.

Amodio said Freehold Township police ran a trace of Scholander’s cell phone and, before the phone was switched off, that trace showed the phone was in the area of a cell tower near Route 1 and Quakerbridge Road on the border between Lawrence and West Windsor townships.

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Officers from both Lawrence and West Windsor started to search the area and, about 10 minutes later, Lawrence Township police Sgt. Brian Caloiaro located a vehicle fitting the description they had been given of Scholander’s car.

That car – later confirmed to be driven by Scholander – refused to pull over and led Caloiaro and Officers Michael Whitmore and Ryan Dunn on chase along Quakerbridge Road into Hamilton Township, Amodio said, noting that at the time the pursuit speed was only about 35 mph.

Being more familiar with the area, multiple Hamilton Township police officers took over the pursuit after Scholander turned onto Route 33 heading east toward Robbinsville; at that time the Lawrence Township officers ended their involvement in the pursuit and returned to Lawrence, Amodio related.

About 15 minutes or so later, Lawrence Township police were notified that Scholander had been stopped and arrested along Route 130 in East Windsor.

In addition to charges he faces in Freehold, Hamilton and elsewhere, Scholander is being charged by Lawrence Township police with eluding and failing to stop/yield for an emergency vehicle, according to Amodio.    

Scholander was also charged by the East Windsor Police Department with eluding, careless driving, reckless driving, failure to maintain lane, failure to stop for emergency vehicle, obstructing traffic, unsafe operation and unsafe plate, according to the East Windsor Police Department.

Scholander was stopped near Town Center Road in East Windsor. During the arrest, an imitation handgun was found, said East windsor police.

Patch Assistant Regional Editor John Saccenti contributed to this report.

 


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