BORDENTOWN CITY
Police this week charged two Bordentown Township boys in connection with a Jan. 26 burglary that netted $12,000 in property, including several guns.
The boys, ages 14 and 16, were charged with burglary, theft, conspiracy and criminal mischief. The 14-year old was charged on Monday and the 16-year-old on Friday, police said.
According to police, the boys waited for the residents of a Miles Avenue home to leave for work, entered between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Jan. 26 with a house key stolen from the victim’s daughter, whom police said the boys knew personally. The boys took nine guns, hundreds of dollars in bonds, an undisclosed amount of coins, liquor, several hunting knives, gun cleaning kits and jewelry, police said.
Police said officers received a tip from the Bordentown Township Police Department and began an investigation that led them to the boys.
The boys, whose names were not released because of their ages, were taken to the county Juvenile Detention Center pending a probable cause hearing, police said. Commissioner James Lynch, director of public safety, said all merchandise and half of the stolen money has been recovered.
Thomas Baldwin, 56, of Bordentown City was charged with driving while intoxicated, reckless driving and driving while suspended at 10 p.m., Feb 1.
According to police, officers were called to check out a report of a man slumped over the wheel of his car on Prince Street and found Mr. Baldwin there. Police said the officers smelled alcohol on Mr. Baldwin’s breath and he was found to have a suspended driver’s license.
He was released on his own recognizance, pending a court appearance.
BORDENTOWN TOWNSHIP
Police are investigating the theft of $440 in alcohol from Jay-Kay Liquors on Bordentown Road at 4:20 p.m. on Feb. 4.
Employees told police that two people entered the store and shoplifted 12 assorted bottles of liquor and fled in a white car.
The first suspect is described as a black male, 25 to 30 years old, approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall and 160 pounds. He was wearing a white shirt, tan cargo pants, tan Timberland boots and a dark color sweat jacket, police said.
The second suspect is described as a white or Hispanic female, 35 to 40 years old, approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall and 150 pounds with reddish-brown shoulder length hair. She was wearing a white shirt with matching blue and white jacket and pants.
The store employee told officers that the two people entered the store together and went to the rear aisle of the store and were there for about five minutes.
The man then left the store without making a purchase and waited in the car, which was parked in front of the building, police said. A few minutes later, the woman left the store and set off the security alarm, which is activated by a sensor attached to the more expensive items, police said.
She entered the same white car and the two fled from the parking lot, police said.
Employees determined that there were 12 bottles missing. Officers reviewed the security tape and saw two people matching the descriptions and noted the female placing objects into her jacket and then leaving.
The incident is under investigation by detectives.
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David J. Vasquez, 39, of Bristol, Conn., was charged with receiving stolen property and possession of narcotics paraphernalia at 9 a.m. on Feb. 2.
Police found a 1995 Mazda 626 with Connecticut registration on Hogback Road. The car was parked illegally on the side of the road and the owner was not in the vicinity, police said.
Police found that the car was registered to a woman in Connecticut, who said her estranged boyfriend, Mr. Vasquez, had taken her car out of state without her permission, police said.
She told police that Mr. Vasquez had been dealing with a drug problem and that his employers suspected that he had stolen $3,800 in deposits, according to police.
In searching the area near the car, police found Mr. Vasquez traveling with another motorist. He told them he was going to get gas. Officers stopped him and noted that he seemed "shaky" and was "twitching," according to reports.
Mr. Vasquez was taken to the police station to be interviewed. Officers contacted the district manager of the Family Dollar Store in West Hartford, Conn., who told them that two police reports had been filed in reference to Mr. Vasquez being the suspect in the theft of two deposits, but that charges had not yet been filed, police said.
While checking the inside of Mr. Vasquez’s girlfriend’s car, officers found a black pen casing on the driver’s side front seat in plain view. Officers saw a white powdery residue in the pen that, when tested, was found to be cocaine, police said.
Officers also found plastic deposit bags contained within a canvas bank bag in the car. All of the paperwork and checks and the deposit bags were marked with the name Family Dollar Store, police said.
Officers recovered all the missing funds from the car. He was charged with receiving stolen property because he was in possession of the deposits, police said.
Bail for Mr. Vasquez was set at $7,500. He was transported to the Burlington County Jail pending bail and extradition to Connecticut.
FLORENCE
Brian Davis, 23, of Burlington was charged with driving while intoxicated and careless driving Sunday.
Police said Mr. Davis’ 2002 Acura was pulled over after he was seen weaving along southbound Route 130. At the stop, police said, officers reported smelling alcohol on Mr. Davis’ breath. Mr. Davis failed sobriety tests and was charged at 2:19 a.m., police said.
He was released on his own recognizance, pending a court appearance.
Police responding to a disorderly person call near Bridge’s Tavern on Hornberger Avenue charged a Roebling man with a contempt of court violation Feb. 7.
Jacob Schultz, 21, of Amboy Avenue was charged after police conducted a background search and discovered $3,000 worth of motor vehicle violation warrants issued by Burlington, the report stated.
Mr. Schultz was transferred to the Burlington County Jail in lieu of bail.
Police last week charged a pair of township men in connection with a banking and credit card scheme that allegedly netted over $14,000 in goods.
Police charged Kenneth Babula Jr., 26, with forgery, credit card theft, theft and making false statements in procuring a credit card at 4:46 p.m., Feb. 3. Two days later, at 2:30 p.m., police apprehended 39-year-old Derrick Tucker as an accomplice and charged him with conspiracy to commit theft and receiving stolen property, police said.
According to police, Mr. Babula fraudulently obtained a credit card from HHLD Bank of Las Vegas by using a phony name and used it with Mr. Tucker to buy a $1,500 laptop computer, a landscape trailer, a freezer, motorcycle helmets and $5,000 worth of clothing, for a total of $14,672 in merchandise.
Mr. Babula was taken to the Burlington County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bail; Mr. Tucker posted $5,000 bail and was released Feb. 5. Police said the investigation continues and could yield more arrests.