Local man charged in mall burglary

Police say recent break in was similar

to others comitted during January
By:Sally Goldenberg
   A Manville man awaiting trial in Franklin Township was charged Monday with third-degree burglary and theft at the Dollar’s Worth Store in the Rustic Mall.
   East Camplain Road resident Robert Carman Jr., 34, was charged with a recent "smash and grab" burglary in Manville, which resembled a series of break-ins in January.
   The Manville Police Department and the Somerset County prosecutor’s office launched a three-month investigation into the break-ins that occurred between the end of last year and beginning of this year. The investigation is ongoing, said Prosecutor Wayne J. Forrest.
   "In each of these cases, the perpetrator would gain entry to the business by smashing a window or prying open a door. The perpetrator would then take any money or items with value such as cigarettes," according to a statement from the prosecutor’s office.
   According to Manville police reports, a burglar smashed the front door of the Manville Pizzeria in the Rustic Mall and stole $244 in cash from the register early Jan. 5.
   The Midtown Deli on South Main Street fell prey to a similar burglary the same morning, when a burglar opened the window and door of the establishment and stole 30 packs of cigarettes, totaling about $125, and $81 in rolled coins, according to police reports.
   Mr. Carman is only being charged with burglarizing the Dollar’s Worth Store. All of the "smash and grab" burglaries are still under investigation.
   According to the prosecutor’s report, police saw Mr. Carman exiting the Dollar’s Worth Store through an area of shattered glass and ran away from approaching officers toward his residence on Monday. The report stated he dropped two rolls of quarters and one roll of dimes as he ran from police, which later provided links to the January burglary.
   Police eventually found Mr. Carman in the loft area of his garage, with help from South Bound Brook’s K-9 unit and the Bridgewater and Hillsborough police departments.
   Mr. Carman, who also was charged with a disorderly persons offense in Manville, is lodged in Somerset County Jail in Somerville in lieu of $25,000 bail, cash or bond.
   He is awaiting a trial on similar charges in Franklin Township. According to the prosecutor’s report, Mr. Carman was charged on Oct. 26 with second-degree robbery, second-degree burglary and third-degree theft after allegedly assaulting a civilian and stealing 40 cartons of cigarettes from a store in Franklin.