60+ Car Break-Ins In South Brunswick/East Brunswick: Man Charged

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — A Helmetta man was arrested Tuesday and charged in connection with more than 60 car burglaries that occurred over the past month in central New Jersey, including break-ins in Old Bridge, East Brunswick, Jamesburg, Monroe and South Brunswick.

The case started when various police departments across the area all reported a spike in motor vehicle burglaries this July and August. There were 15 reported car burglaries this past weekend, Aug. 11 and 12, just in South Brunswick alone.

The various police in those towns shared the information, and assigned targeted patrols looking for whoever was behind this, South Brunswick police said. At 2 a.m. on Tuesday morning, Aug. 14, Jamesburg police officer Joseph Quinn was on patrol driving in Beaver Brook complex when he said he observed a man attempting to break into a car in a neighboring development on Dorene Court in Monroe Township. The suspect fled from Officer Quinn into the nearby woods.

Quinn notified Monroe police, who quickly surrounded the area. Several minutes later the suspect, Curtis Brown Jr., 26, of Helmetta was located hiding in a vehicle in a nearby parking lot. He was immediately arrested.

Monroe, Jamesburg and South Brunswick detectives then conducted a search of a Rt. 130 motel in South Brunswick and recovered numerous stolen items inside, they said. The items had been stolen from unlocked cars and have been already linked to cars in Old Bridge, East Brunswick, Jamesburg, Monroe and South Brunswick. Detectives are working with other police departments to see if additional recovered items can be linked to any open cases.

Police believe Brown would drive around to different neighborhoods and check for unlocked doors. He allegedly would rummage through the unlocked cars, stealing anything of value. Police allege that many of the stolen items were then sold so Brown could buy heroin.

Detectives said they are confident Brown did not operate alone and are looking for additional suspects.

Brown has been charged with multiple counts of burglary, theft and receiving stolen property. He was lodged in the Middlesex County Correction Center pending his first court appearance.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information can contact South Brunswick Detective Dennis Yuhasz or Detective Brady Shelcusky at (732) 329-4000 ext. 7496; Monroe Detective Ray Gifford at (732) 521-0222 ext. 121; or Jamesburg Detective Jason Muller at (732) 521-0011.

South Brunswick Police Chief Raymond Hayducka credited all the various local police departments working together.

“It was the teamwork from several police departments that captured this suspect," he said. "The suspect may have believed that by going over different Township lines he would be able to get away with his crimes, but he was wrong.”

Jamesburg, Monroe, East Brunswick and South Brunswick police all worked together on the case.

Police were able to track down Curtis using a video recovered by South Brunswick detectives, a tip developed by East Brunswick detectives, an alert Jamesburg patrolman, and a fast response by Monroe police officers.

“This case exemplifies excellent teamwork,” said Chief Hayducka.

Photo of Curtis Brown, Jr. supplied by South Brunswick police.