Motor Vehicle Theft, Theft By Deception: Princeton Police Blotter

The following is a summary of incidents as reported by Princeton Police:

PRINCETON, NJ - On Feb.18, patrols investigated a reported theft that occurred at an Eating Club located on Washington Road. A woman reported that her belongings were stolen while she attended a party on Feb. 15 between 12.30 a.m. and 01:30 a.m. The woman stated she placed her small black Gucci leather handbag on an armchair near the front entrance and covered it with her jacket. She advised that at around 12:30 a.m. she removed her camera from the handbag to take photographs, then returned it to the handbag and covered it again. Around 01:30 a.m., she returned to retrieve her items and discovered they were missing. She searched for approximately one hour but was unable to locate the property. There are no known suspects at this time. Stolen items / value: One small black Gucci leather handbag with a gold clasp, valued at approximately $3,000, one black Canon PowerShot SX730 HS digital camera, valued at $485.01.

On Feb. 18, patrols responded to a residence on Christopher Drive for a reported motor vehicle theft. A man reported that his vehicle had been stolen from his driveway and was being tracked via a mobile app. The vehicle’s location was relayed to responding units and Plainsboro Police. Plainsboro police subsequently located the BMW unoccupied near Route 1/Sayre Drive in Plainsboro. The vehicle was recovered and towed to Princeton Police headquarters for processing. The vehicle is valued between approximately $50,000 and $80,000. This investigation is on-going.

On Feb. 19, patrols responded to police headquarters for a report of a theft from a personal checking account. The victims reported receiving fraudulent text messages posing as Affinity Federal Credit Union regarding suspicious activity, and were directed to call a phone number where an unknown actor obtained account verification information and locked them out of their accounts. The suspect then reportedly changed the account email address and created a new account. On Feb. 18 four unauthorized transfers totaling $4,750.00 were made and routed to an account associated with “Cross River Bank checking.” The legitimate financial institution later notified the victims and closed the compromised account. No suspects have been identified at this time.

On Feb. 20, following a motor vehicle stop for driving the wrong way on a one-way roadway, the driver, a Princeton resident, was arrested for driving while intoxicated. She was transported to police headquarters for processing. The 43-year-old was issued summonses for driving while intoxicated, driving the wrong way on a one-way, reckless driving, careless driving, and improper display of license plates. The woman was released to a sober adult.

On Feb. 21, a man reported that between 12 p.m. and 01:20 p.m. an unknown suspect(s) stole his gold Vivi Ace07 electric bicycle (valued approx. $839) and a black Sportneer bike lock (valued at $30) while it was parked along the street in front of a utility pole. The victim stated the bicycle was not secured to a fixed object; only the rear wheel was locked, and the keys remained on his person. The man checked on the bicycle around 12p.m. and it was still present. When he returned at approximately 01:20 p.m., the bicycle and lock were missing. There were no known suspects at this time.

On Feb. 22, patrol responded to a home on Cherry Valley Road on a report of a past-tense residential burglary. A man reported that upon returning home around 02:13 p.m., he found the front entry door unsecured and observed damage consistent with forced entry, which he believed may have been caused by someone prying the door open. The man further reported that two laptop computers (value unknown) were missing from the residence. He said the laptops were last known to be inside the home at approximately 04:15 p.m. on Feb. 20, and he believed the theft occurred sometime between 04:15 p.m. on Feb. 20 and 03:13 p.m. on Feb. 22. This investigation is ongoing.

On Feb. 22, following a motor vehicle stop for disregarding a stop sign and driving the wrong way on a one-way street, the driver/registered owner was found to have an active warrant out of Lawrence Township Municipal Court in the amount of $550.00. The Trenton resident was arrested and transported to headquarters for processing. She was released on her own recognizance and was given a new court date. The 30-year-old was issued a summons for disregarding a stop sign and a summons for wrong way on a one-way street.

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