By vincent todaro
Staff Writer
EAST BRUNSWICK — Police arrested a 33-year-old Middlesex County woman early Saturday in connection with a spree of overnight burglaries in one township neighborhood.
Police said Catherine Inghrim, 33, whose residence was listed as the Howard Johnson hotel on Route 1 in New Brunswick, burglarized or attempted to break into residences on Perry Road, Jean Road, Sullivan Way and Salt Meadow Road. She was arrested Saturday and charged with four counts of attempted burglary, one count of burglary, five counts of criminal mischief, one count of receiving stolen property and one count of theft.
Police said they first became aware of the burglaries when Patrolman Wade Gordon responded to a residence on Perry Road at 5:06 a.m. Saturday to investigate an alleged break-in attempt.
The 40-year-old homeowner had been awakened by the sound of the handle to her rear glass sliding door falling to the ground, police said.
Upon inspection of the area, it was discovered that someone had unscrewed the handle from the outside and had carefully removed a pane from the rear door. No entry was gained, though, due to the presence of a deadbolt lock.
East Brunswick Police Lt. Thomas Crothers checked the surrounding streets for a suspect and reportedly found Inghrim walking on Jean Road and carrying a backpack and gym bag.
She was found to have in her possession a pair of pliers, screwdriver, small pocket knife and numerous pieces of mail from a residence on Jean Road, police said.
Around the same time, another police officer responded to a Jean Road residence and noticed the bottom window pane to the back door had allegedly been removed.
The residents were awakened by the officer and, after checking their home, discovered that someone allegedly broke in while they were sleeping. A pocketbook with $45 cash, credit cards, and a white shopping bag containing pills and papers had been stolen, police said.
Inghrim was arrested and taken to police headquarters shortly thereafter.
At 8:15 a.m., a homeowner on Sullivan Way called police and reported that someone had broken into his home overnight while he slept. Entry was gained through an unlocked rear garage door that led to an unlocked door to the family room. A camcorder and other items were allegedly stolen.
Police said that while Patrolman Fred Johler inspected Inghrim’s car, which was parked in the street, a resident of Salt Meadow Road approached him and said his home was the scene of an attempted burglary overnight. The screen to a rear sliding door was allegedly cut and windows had been pried but no entry was gained.
Another report came from a resident of Sullivan Way, who called at 9:51 a.m. to report that someone allegedly tried to break into his home overnight as he slept, police said.
The suspect allegedly cut the screen on the rear sliding door, unlocked it and attempted to open the sliding door. No access was gained, however.
The final report came from a resident of Perry Road, police said, who approached Detective Ronald Keaveney from the Identification Bureau as he processed the crime scenes.
The 68-year-old woman reported finding the screen of a rear door to her home allegedly cut just above the lock, police said. Again, no entry was gained.
Police said a search warrant of the suspect’s room at the hotel in New Brunswick was conducted, and jewelry believed to have been stolen was seized.
Inghrim was lodged at the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center, North Brunswick, on $100,000 bail with no 10 percent option.