PECO Scam, Stolen Cemetery Decorations: Newtown Police Activity

Police in Newtown Township reported the following recent activity:

January 11

A Newtown Township resident contacted police to report fraudulent activity on her husband’s debit card. Investigation is ongoing at this time.

Patrols were dispatched to Acme Markets for the report of a retail theft that occurred a week prior. Individuals allegedly loaded up a shopping cart with several items and then pushed it out of the store without paying.

A man reported Christmas decorations at his son’s grave site in St. Andrew Cemetery were vandalized. The complainant said that the LED tree lights he placed on a tree near his son’s grave were damaged and that their power sources had been cut. The light sets were valued at $120.

While on patrol around 9:45 pm, an officer observed a suspicious occupied vehicle parked in Helen Randle Park. Upon contact with the three occupants, the officer detected an odor of marijuana emanating from inside the vehicle. A search of the vehicle was done, and a small amount of suspected marijuana was found. A Disorderly Conduct citation was issued.

January 13

Police were dispatched to a business located along Newtown Yardley Road at approximately 2:30 a.m. for the report of criminal mischief to vehicles in the parking lot. Police also discovered that the criminal mischief was in addition to theft from the vehicles. The investigation is ongoing at this time.

January 15

A Wrightstown Township resident contacted police to report a phone scam. The complainant explained that someone had called her and claimed to be with PECO. The caller stated that if she did not pay them in 45 minutes that they would shut off her electric. The complainant recognized this as a scam and hung up immediately in order to verify with PECO directly. PECO advised the complainant that they have received similar complaints from the Newtown area and that it was indeed a scam.