Man accused in series of purse snatchings

By jennifer dome
Staff Writer

Man accused in series
of purse snatchings
By jennifer dome
Staff Writer

Police have apprehended a man accused of stealing purses from four elderly women in South River and East Brunswick.

Robert Mount, 41, who police said was residing at the Parlin Guest House on Washington Road in Sayreville, was arrested by East Brunswick police May 22. Mount was charged with theft, forgery and credit card fraud after investigations revealed he was responsible for the May 17 thefts of two pocketbooks from women inside ShopRite on Route 18 in East Brunswick, according to police from that township.

Mount is also accused of hiding a hypodermic syringe in a freezer at ShopRite just before police arrived to question him when store employees reported on May 17 that he was acting in a suspicious manner by following elderly women around the store. Mount was released that day without being charged. The syringe was found by store employees three days later, prompting an investigation and ultimately Mount’s arrest.

Mount allegedly used a credit card from one of the purses stolen May 17 to purchase a $400 power washer from Home Depot, Racetrack Road. Mount then resold the power washer for cash, according to East Brunswick police reports.

South River police also linked Mount to two thefts reported on Jan. 7 and 13 in that borough. During each incident, it was reported that a white male approached the woman in the driveway of her residence and took her purse while she was unloading items from her car. The first purse snatching occurred at about 1:44 p.m. on Lexington Avenue and the second at 5:14 p.m. on Cleveland Avenue, police reports said.

The South River Police Department charged Mount with robbery, destruction of evidence and credit card theft, according to police reports.

Mount was transported to the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center, North Brunswick, and held in lieu of $50,000.

Another purse snatching was reported to South River police in January, borough police Detective Sgt. John Casey said. Mount is not a suspect in that theft.