Dog Scares Away Masked Burglars With Pry Bar In Basking Ridge: Cops

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — More home burglaries along with fraud, DUI arrests, package thefts, and more were reported in the most recent police blotter.

Bernards Township Police Department(BTPD) blotter from Jan. 9 – Jan. 28:

During the above timeframe, BTPD officers responded to 12 motor vehicle crashes with two injuries reported. Eleven motor vehicle summonses were issued.

• On Jan. 12, at around 8:36 p.m.: Officers went to a home on Lyons Road for the report of a home burglary. The victim said they left the home around 2 p.m. that date and returned home at 8:30 p.m. When the victim entered the house, they saw a broken window on the first floor, along with an open kitchen door. When patrol officers arrived on scene, they saw two bedrooms in the home had been ransacked. It was determined that the suspect(s) entered the home through the cellar storm door. This case is under investigation by the Detective Bureau.
• On Jan. 15, at around 1:37 a.m.: Officers, Liberty Corner Fire Department and Basking Ridge Fire Department went to a home on Lurline Drive for the report of a structure fire. The resident said they were woken by the fire alarm sounding, and later saw and smelled smoke from the utility closet of the home. All residents and pets were evacuated safely. The fire was extinguished by all fire companies on the scene.
• On Jan. 16, at around 2:06 p.m.: Officers responded to a home on Charleston Court for a theft report. The victim advised they had three iPhones delivered to their home at around 11:12 a.m. by FedEx. At around 1 p.m., the victim discovered the package stolen. The victim used their Tesla’s century camera mode to try to locate a suspect. This case is under investigation by the Detective Bureau.
• On Jan. 16, at around 4:28 p.m.: Officers responded to Allen Road for the report of a possible DUI driver. The caller advised dispatchers that they saw a man drinking, then get into a black Porsche and drove away. When officers arrived in the area, they saw the suspected black Porsche, running, with a man sitting in the driver’s seat. Officers conducted a motor vehicle stop on the vehicle. During the stop, the driver was placed through standardized field sobriety tests, and determined to be driving under the influence of liquor and/or drugs. The driver, Sunil Vandse, 52, of Basking Ridge, was placed under arrest. Vandse was taken to BTPD headquarters for processing. Vandse was issued two motor vehicle summonses and later released to a responsible party.
• On Jan. 17, at around 4:19 a.m.: Officers went to a home on Bernard Drive for the report of an attempted burglary. The resident said that they were awoken by their dog barking aggressively. After reviewing security footage, two black men wearing masks and holding a blue pry bar, were observed attempting to open the door of a BMW in the driveway of the home. The BMW was locked, and the men were then seen going to the back of the home. When the suspects went to the back of the home, they were scared off by the barking dog, and fled on foot. Officers saw a forced-open garage window, likely opened by the pry bar the suspects had. An Audi in the garage was opened and ransacked but remained on scene. This case is under investigation by the Detective Bureau.
• On Jan. 18, at around 10:08 p.m.: An officer on patrol of Martinsville Road saw a black Nissan Pathfinder with an inoperable headlight and license plate lights. The officer conducted a motor vehicle stop of the Nissan on Martinsville Road near Allen Road. During the stop, the officer was alerted to an arrest warrant for the driver. The driver, Kristoff Ramdyhan, 26, of East Orange, was placed under arrest for a traffic warrant out of Springfield Township Police Department. Ramdyhan was later released on his own recognizance with a new court date for the Springfield PD warrant. Ramdyhan was issued two motor vehicle summonses by BTPD officers and released from the stop.
• On Jan. 19: A resident of Benedict Crescent went to BTPD headquarters to report fraud. The resident said they were trying to sell a couch on Facebook Marketplace. An interested buyer contacted the resident and sent a screenshot of what appeared to be a legitimate Zelle transaction. Upon further investigation, it was determined that the screenshot was fake and the transaction was not complete. The resident proceeded to send $900 in funds to the scammer via Zelle, as the buyer claimed they needed the funds back. BTPD reminds all residents to never send funds to parties they do not know and to confirm all requests for money through their banks. This case is under investigation by the Detective Bureau.
• On Jan. 19: A resident of Lyons Road went to BTPD headquarters to report fraud. The resident advised that in 2020, at a work event, they met someone they believed to be a celebrity. After the work event, the resident was messaged on Instagram by someone appearing to be the same celebrity. This person claimed to have an investment opportunity for the resident. Throughout the last four years, and through chats on WhatsApp, the resident had sent wire transfers to this unknown party, totaling more than $1 million. BTPD reminds all residents to never send funds to parties they do not know and to confirm all requests for money through their banks. This case is under investigation by the Detective Bureau.
• On Jan. 20, at around 2:42 p.m.: Officers went to Irving Place for the report of threats. The reporting party advised dispatch that he was trying to purchase a used cell phone when the sellers, described as two black men between the ages of 21-23, became aggressive and threatened to shoot him. The suspects tried to take the buyer’s cell phone out of his hand before the buyer ran back into his home and called 911. The suspects fled the scene in a silver Nissan Altima. This case is under investigation by the Detective Bureau.
• On Jan. 20, at around 6:55 p.m.: Officers went to a business on Mt. Airy Road for the report of an unresponsive driver in a vehicle. When officers located the vehicle, the driver began to reverse, ultimately hitting a parked vehicle. Officers made contact with the driver, who was unable to stand on his own outside of his vehicle. The driver, Graham Berstler, 34, of Union City, was placed under arrest for driving under the influence of liquor and/or drugs. Berstler was taken back to BTPD headquarters for processing. After processing, Berstler was released to a responsible party and issued multiple motor vehicle summonses.
• On Jan. 23 and 24: Officers were notified by Bernards Township Public Works of criminal mischief and property damage to Pleasant Valley Park and Mountain Park. Officers saw tire tracks on the fields of both parks. BTPD reminds residents that driving on park grounds is strictly prohibited. This case is under investigation by the Detective Bureau.
• On Jan. 24: Officers went to a home on Honeyman Road for the report of a porch theft. The victim told officers that there were two iPhones delivered to the home at around 1:18 p.m. The victim said that his security footage caught an adult man walking up to the home and taking the iPhone packages at around 1:28 p.m. The man was described as wearing black jeans, black sneakers, and a red puffer jacket. The man proceeds to flee the residence and get into a waiting white SUV. Footage was also able to capture a black sedan in the area at the same time of the theft. This case is under investigation by the Detective Bureau.
• On Jan. 26, at around 3:43 a.m.: Officers went to Somerville Road for the report of a motor vehicle crash with a possible intoxicated driver. The vehicle, a gray BMW, went off the roadway and hit decorative rocks, a mailbox, and finally a tree before coming to rest. The driver had left the scene but returned in another vehicle, where he was then placed through standardized field sobriety tests. The driver, Desmond Lee, 60, of Bridgewater, was placed under arrest for driving under the influence of liquor and/or drugs. Lee was taken back to BTPD headquarters for processing. Lee was later released to a responsible party and issued multiple motor vehicle summonses.
• On Jan. 28, at around 2:27 p.m.: Officers responded to the Walgreens located in Lyons Mall for a report of shoplifting. The manager reported a white woman with blonde hair, about 40 to 50 years of age, wearing a dark zip-up jacket, black pants and eyeglasses stole a box of cigarettes. The manager requested the suspect to return the cigarettes but the suspect declined and fled the store. This case in under investigation by the Detective Bureau.

"The Bernard’s Township Police would like to continue to remind everyone to report suspicious activity observed by calling 908-766-1122. Please keep vehicles locked, without the keys in them and valuables out of sight. Please confirm all suspicious calls/emails/texts/messages requesting monetary payments with law enforcement or banking officials before sending funds," said police.

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