Deliberate act causes extensive damage at Krauszer’s in Hightstown.
By: David Pescatore
HIGHTSTOWN The Krauszer’s food store on Franklin Street was devastated early Sunday morning when a car smashed through the front doors, causing extensive damage to the entryway and surrounding brick façade.
East Windsor police discovered the white 1996 Honda Accord protruding from the building at 2:14 a.m. They determined that the vehicle had been stolen from a Wynbrook West Apartments resident, who had not noticed the car missing.
Store surveillance video shows the car backing up to the front doors of the convenience store, aligning itself for the strike, police said. The Honda then is driven forward approximately 75 feet, and then is shifted into reverse and accelerates backward, demolition-derby style, through the front of the store.
After the crash, a man can be seen exiting the vehicle and fleeing the scene.
Police described the man as Hispanic, in his early 20s. He had a shaved head or a crew cut and was wearing a blue tank top and red shorts.
Fingerprints were taken from the Accord.
Damage estimates were not complete Wednesday morning, but police said that costs would amount to several thousand dollars to both the store and to the car.
Later, at 4 a.m., police found another 1996 Honda abandoned on Orchard Avenue.
The vehicle was stolen from in front of Building 121 and the driver abandoned it while attempting to leave The Orchard, police said.
The car’s steering column had been tampered with, but police could not determine why the vehicle had been abandoned.
Police said they believe the two thefts are related because both cars were stolen within the same time frame and both were Hondas.