Councilman’s son, 2 others nabbed following holdup
By: Sharlee Joy DiMenichi
Three men, including the son of a Township Council member, were charged Wednesday in connection with a robbery at a playground in the Summerfield development.
Kelvin Thomas, 19, of Fresh Ponds Road was charged with robbery, making terroristic threats and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose; and Jason Van Hessen, 18, of Fresh Ponds Road, son of Councilman Ted Van Hessen, and Brian Jeffries, 20, of Regal Drive in Monmouth Junction, were charged with conspiracy to commit robbery following a robbery at 9 p.m. Tuesday at a playground on Scenic Drive in the Dayton development.
Councilman Van Hessen declined to comment Wednesday.
According to police, the three were in the park at around 9 p.m. when a car driven by a 25-year-old Dayton man pulled into the park.
Police said Mr. Thomas got into the car, showed a replica handgun, which the victim believed was real, and demanded the man’s money.
The man handed over $140, according to police. Police said the victim had come to the park to meet Mr. Thomas. Police said the victim expected to get money from Mr. Thomas.
According to police, Mr. Thomas left the Dayton man’s car and got into a nearby car in which Jason Van Hessen and Mr. Jeffries were waiting. Police described Mr. Thomas and Mr. Van Hessen as friends who live at the same address.
Responding to reports of the robbery, police stopped a car that matched the description of the one the three men were in, on Route 130, south of Route 522. Police first spotted the car on Route 522. Police got a search warrant and found the replica handgun in the trunk of the vehicle, said Detective James Ryan.
Mr. Thomas was held at the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center on $10,000 bail, police said.
Mr. Van Hessen and Mr. Jeffries were each held on $2,500 bail and both posted 10 percent, police said.

