Smash And Grab Burglar Broke Into Businesses In 5 Somerset County Towns: Prosecutor

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — A Milltown man was arrested after police said he broke into and burglarized multiple commercial businesses across Somerset County in December 2024.

Gabriel Bay, 56, of Milltown, was charged in connection with the burglaries in Bedminster, Warren, Branchburg, Basking Ridge, and Green Brook, announced Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald and Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives Francisco Roman Jr.

On Dec. 3, 2024, at around 2:05 a.m., a person was captured on surveillance video using a crowbar to break the glass in the front door of a convenience store on Route 206 in Bedminster. The person then broke into both cash registers taking around $267 in cash before fleeing the area.

On Dec. 3, 2024, at around 2:45 a.m., the same actor that committed the Bedminster burglary was seen on surveillance cameras carrying a hammer and wearing the same clothing in the area of commercial properties on Washington Walley Road in Warren Township. All three properties were burglarized after the person forced entry into the stores taking cash and a gaming console from one of the properties before leaving the area. The reported losses from these commercial properties were $300, $100, and $1,200, respectively. Read More: 4 Smash And Grab Burglaries Target Businesses In Warren

Bay was not charged in similar burglaries that reportedly happened in nearby Bridgewater Township on Dec. 3. Roman told Patch, "that is a different investigation."

On Dec. 14, 2024, at around 1:19 a.m., officers from the Branchburg Township Police Department responded to a report of a suspicious person throwing items at the window of a business located on Route 202 in Branchburg Township. Officers arrived to find the glass in the front door of the business shattered and a man in the store. When officers confronted the man, he fled out of the back door. It was determined that the person gained entry by using a glass break tool to break the glass in the front door before stealing around $415 from the cash registers.

On Dec. 16, 2024, at around 4:29 a.m., a person is seen on surveillance video pulling into the parking lot of storefronts located on Martinsville Road in Basking Ridge. Three of the storefronts located in the area were found to have broken windows. Upon entry into the stores, the person stole around $120 from one store and a hammer and a screwdriver from another store before fleeing the area.

On Dec. 16, 2024, a person is first seen in a surveillance video trying to get inside an establishment on Washington Avenue in Green Brook. The person used a hammer to destroy the door by splitting it in half causing property damage. At around 5:05 a.m., the same person is seen walking across the street and using a claw hammer to break the glass in the front door to gain access to a restaurant also located on Washington Avenue. The person also breaks the lock on a file cabinet in the rear office.

Bay was identified as the person responsible for the burglaries following a joint investigation by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Burglary Unit, the Bedminster Township Police Department, Warren Township Police Department, Branchburg Township Police Department, Green Brook Township Police Department, and the Bernards Township Police Department.

On Dec. 17, 2024, as a result of this joint investigation, Bay was arrested without incident in Milltown, and charged with three counts of third-degree burglary, third-degree theft, fourth-degree theft, fourth-degree criminal mischief, three counts of possession of burglary tools, a disorderly persons offense and one count of theft, a disorderly persons offense from the burglaries that occurred in Warren Township.

Bay was also charged with third-degree burglary, fourth-degree theft, fourth-degree criminal
mischief and possession of burglary tools, a disorderly person’s offense for the burglary
committed in Branchburg Township.

Bay was processed at the Somerset County Jail and subsequently lodged in the Morris County Jail.

On Dec. 17, 2024, while at the Somerset County Jail, Bay was served with complaints from Bedminster Township for charges of third-degree burglary, fourth-degree theft, fourth-degree criminal mischief and possession of burglary tools, a disorderly person’s offense resulting from the burglary that occurred on Dec. 3 in Bedminster Township.

Bay was also served with complaints from Bernards Township for charges of three counts of third-degree burglary, three counts of fourth-degree criminal mischief, two counts of theft, a disorderly person’s offense and possession of burglary tools, a disorderly person’s offense stemming from the burglaries that occurred in Bernards Township on Dec. 16, 2024.

On Dec. 18, 2024, Green Brook Township Police Department served Bay while at the Morris County Jail with criminal complaints for third-degree burglary, third-degree attempted burglary, two counts of fourth-degree criminal mischief, and two counts of possession of burglary tools, a disorderly persons offense for the attempted burglaries that occurred in Green Brook Township.

McDonald thanked members of the Middlesex Count SWAT team, officers from the Edison Police Department and Officers from the Woodbridge Police Department for their help with this investigation.

Anyone with information regarding these burglaries is asked to contact the Somerset County Prosecutors Office Burglary Unit at 908-231-7100 or via the STOPit app. The STOPit app allows citizens to provide anonymous reports including videos and photos. STOPit can be downloaded to your smart phone for free at the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, access code: SOMERSETNJ.

Information can also be provided through the Somerset County Crime Stoppers’ Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477). All anonymous STOPit reports, and Crime Stopper tips will be kept confidential.

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