DUI Charges Pending, Residents Report Fraud: Newtown Township Police

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — The Newtown Township Police Department reported the following incidents and arrests between March 17 and 23:

March 17

• At approximately 1:30 a.m. police conducted a traffic stop on a Honda Civic operator for committing a vehicle code violation in the area of the Newtown Bypass and Campus Drive. As a result of the investigation, a small amount of suspected marijuana was discovered and seized as evidence, and the operator was cited with disorderly conduct.

• A Newtown Township resident contacted police around noon to report a fraud involving items for sale on Facebook. The resident explained that he purchased three French Bulldogs, but realized he was scammed when he went to pick them up and found an abandoned lot. Police advised that this is a typical scam where someone’s Facebook gets hacked and the hacker attempts to sell fake items and will provide a local address of an abandoned home or house for sale.

• At approximately 4 p.m. police were dispatched to the area of the Party Fair store at the Village of Newtown for the report of a theft. The complainant explained that he lost a wallet in that area and when it was found, $100 had been stolen. The investigation is ongoing at this time.

March 20

• At approximately 11 p.m. police were dispatched to a Newtown Township residence for the report of a disturbance. As a result of the investigation, police took one female subject into custody without incident for violating a Protection From Abuse Court Order.

March 21

• A Newtown Township resident contacted police around 10:45 a.m. to report a fraud. The resident explained that someone contacted them on Instagram and expressed interest in buying one of their photos. They were then sent a $2,500 check to deposit and asked to send $500 back. At that point, the resident recognized it was a scam and did not suffer a monetary loss.

• A Newtown Township resident contacted police around 11:30 am to report a fraud. The resident explained that someone opened an AT&T account and bought an iPhone with their personal information. The account was disputed and closed, and AT&T investigated the matter.

March 22

• At approximately 1:45 am police conducted a traffic stop on a Toyota Camry operator for committing a vehicle code violation in the area of Lindenhurst Road and the Newtown Bypass. Upon contact with the operator, the officer detected the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage. The operator was unable to perform field sobriety tests satisfactorily and was placed under arrest for suspicion of driving under the influence. Charges are pending blood evidence results.

• The Newtown-Makefield Truck Enforcement Unit conducted a commercial vehicle safety detail in the area of Lookout Park in Upper Makefield. The unit is made up of officers from Newtown Township, Newtown Borough and Upper Makefield. During the detail, 11 trucks were stopped and inspected, and seven citations and fourteen warnings were issued for violations that were found. Three trucks were placed out of service and one was towed.

• At approximately 9 a.m. police were dispatched to Learning Express for the report of a retail theft. The investigation is ongoing at this time.

March 23

• At approximately 3 p.m. police were dispatched to a Newtown Township residence for the report of a disturbance. As a result of the investigation, police took one male subject into custody without incident on an active arrest warrant from Norristown.