South Brunswick Police: Former Babysitter, Boyfriend Worked Together To Steal Items From Home

Police say a family’s former babysitter and her boyfriend worked together to steal items from a South Brunswick home.

But, that family had a Dropcam in their house, and it captured the burglary -- and the pick-up truck used in the crime - on video, South Brunswick police said.

So, a week later, when a patrol officer spotted the truck on a South Brunswick highway, he quickly pulled it over, police said.

And that quick-thinking cop’s actions led to the arrest of two South Brunswick residents, according to a news release from Lt. James Ryan.

According to the news release:

Officer Rick Delucia was on patrol around 6 p.m. Thursday when he saw a silver Dodge Ram pickup truck on Route 130 south. Delucia quickly realized it was the same truck that had been captured on video during a burglary at a Falcongate Drive home on April 15.

In that case, the homeowner had installed a Dropcam to monitor the house. When one of the children came home from school, the Xbox 360 was missing.

The child called the parent, who viewed the Dropcam video via cell phone. That’s when the family realized their home had been burglarized around 1:45 p.m. that day.

On Thursday, Delucia pulled that pickup truck over on Route 130 near Route 32. He questioned the driver, Tyler Hunt, 26, of the Kendall Park park section of town, about the Dodge, which was uninsured and unregistered.

In the meantime, Detective Roger Tuohy arrived at the scene.

Police continued their investigation, and developed probable cause to determine that Hunt had stolen jewelry and electronics from the home.

The Dropcam video had also captured audio, and from that, police determined a woman had been on the phone with Hunt while he was inside the house. She was giving him instructions about what to take and what to leave behind.

Police identified that woman as Hunt’s girlfriend, Christina Porto, 21, of the Monmouth Junction section of town. She was the family’s former babysitter and had kept a key to the home.

Officers determined the pair sold the stolen electronics and jewelry for cash.

Chief Raymond Hayducka credited Delucia for the arrests.

“Officer Delucia had the insight to realize a vehicle in rush hour traffic on a highway looked similar to that of one that was involved in a crime in a different part of town a week earlier,’’ the chief said in a prepared statement. “He followed his instincts and developed enough information to arrest the suspects. His efforts represent the best in our department.”

Both Hunt and Porto were charged with burglary and theft. They were sent to the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center, North Brunswick, with bail set at $70,000 each.

Photos courtesy South Brunswick police; Tyler Hunt, Christina Porto