West Windsor Man Indicted In 40 Mercer County Burglaries: Cops

WEST WINDSOR TOWNSHIP, NJ — A West Windsor man has been indicted by a grand jury in connection with 40 burglaries that took place throughout Mercer County over the course of just over a year, Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri announced.

Billy M. Woodard, 54, was indicted on nine-counts in connection with five residential burglaries in Mercer and Middlesex counties this week, according to Onofri. Three of these burglaries took place in West Windsor, and two took place in Plainsboro, Onofri said.

This indictment comes after he was indicted on 55 counts in connection with 31 other burglaries in September, according to Onofri. This included 19 burglaries in West Windsor, four in Robbinsville, six in Princeton, four in Lawrence and two in Hopewell. He was also indicted on many third- and fourth-degree theft charges related to the burglaries.

These towns were hit with a rash of residential burglaries between June 2018 and May 2019, Onofri said. An ensuing comprehensive and massive investigation by the West Windsor Police Department determined that Woodard was the lone culprit in more than 20 residential burglaries during this time, Onofri said.

In almost every single case, the burglaries took place while the residents were at home and asleep, according to Onofri. On May 30, 2019, he was caught in the act, as he was arrested while breaking into a home in Lower Makefield Township, Pennsylvania, Onofri said. He remains in custody in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and is charged with numerous burglaries in that jurisdiction.

“Although Woodard has been linked to 22 residential burglaries in West Windsor Township, the investigation is ongoing,” West Windsor Police Chief Robert Garofalo said. “The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office and the West Windsor Police Department ask residents to continue your vigilance and be observant and considerate to your neighbors. If you feel something is abnormal in your community, please don’t hesitate to contact your local police department immediately.”

Onofri and Garofalo thanked the following agencies for the support and resources provided during the investigation:

• West Windsor Police Department
• Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office
• Hopewell Township Police Department
• Lawrence Township Police Department
• Princeton Police Department
• Robbinsville Township Police Department
• Plainsboro Township Police Department
• Lower Makefield Township (PA) Police Department