Oakland Police Catch Alleged Franklin Lakes Burglar

OAKLAND, NJ — Borough police officers caught a woman shortly after she reportedly broke into a local gas station and stole hundreds of dollars of cigarettes from a Franklin Lakes gas station, police said.

Katerina Pokrovsky, 23, was charged with burglary and theft after police investigated the burglary, which occurred sometime overnight Friday into Saturday, said Franklin Lakes Capt. John Bakelaar. The Delta gas station is located at the intersection of Franklin Avenue and Lakeside Boulevard.

Pokrovsky allegedly stole $700 worth of cigarettes; the business was entered through a smashed-out garage door window, Bakelaar said.

RELATED: Franklin Lakes Woman, 24, Charged With Burglarizing Gas Station

Oakland Police Officer Gary Fiore found Pokrovsky was stopped behind the wheel of a green SUV on Rutgers Drive, the same type of vehicle that was seen leaving the scene of the burglary, said Lt. Christian Eldridge.

Acting Sgt. Ryan O'Keefe saw several cartons of cigarettes on the backseat of her vehicle; she later admitted burglarizing the gas station and to committing two other area burglaries, Eldridge said.

Pokrovsky was charged with three counts of burglary to a vehicle and theft out of Oakland, the lieutenant said. Franklin Lakes Police also charged her with burglary and theft.

Pokrovsky climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in 2014 with two young men on prosthesis, in an effort to bring attention to the 'I Want to Walk' Movement.

Send local news tips, photos, and press releases to daniel.hubbard@patch.com. Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here.

Image via Shutterstock