BORDENTOWN CITY
A city police officer was injured in a two-car accident on Farnsworth Avenue while pursuing a motorist last week.
According to Lt. Matthew Simmons, Sgt. Ken Moretz was getting ready to stop a driver around 10 p.m. March 4. As he was about to make the stop, Lt. Simmons said, another car coming from Railroad Avenue collided with Sgt. Moretz’s car. The sergeant suffered a knee injury in the collision and will be out for an undetermined time, said police.
Sgt. Moretz was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Hamilton for treatment and released, Lt. Simmons said. The driver of the other car involved in the accident, whose name was not available, was treated for a minor head injury and also was released. No charges have been filed against him.
The incident is under investigation by the Bordentown Township Police Department, in order to keep the investigation free of internal influence, Lt. Simmons said.
The driver Sgt. Moretz originally was chasing was never pulled over and police are not pursuing anyone.
Lt. Simmons said the sergeant, who just last month returned to duty after an extended sick leave, is "doing fine." There is no word on when he will return to duty.
BORDENTOWN TOWNSHIP
Joann Cawley, 49, and Wendy Free, 23, both of Bordentown Township, were charged with possession of marijuana under 50 grams and possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to use on March 1 at 8:31 p.m.
A resident of Trenton, whose name was not given, came to police headquarters on March 1 and told officers that she was concerned about her father, who is an acquaintance of Ms. Cawley. His name also was not given by police.
The woman showed officers copies of checks and credit card receipts that showed that her father, 80, had spent approximately $12,000 in one month, mostly in cash withdrawals, police said. The woman said she suspected that Ms. Cawley was using her father to obtain drugs, police said.
She told officers that her father was staying with Ms. Cawley at the Days Inn on Route 206. Officers found that Ms. Cawley had outstanding warrants from Hamilton, according to reports.
Officers arrived at the hotel and found the father’s 2000 Dodge Ram van in the parking lot. When they arrived at his room, officers found the father there. Ms. Free and an infant were on one of the beds, police said. They saw Ms. Cawley run into the bathroom as they entered the room, according to reports.
Police said when officers entered the bathroom Ms. Cawley was flushing the toilet and police saw a piece of a crack-smoking pipe on the floor.
The infant in the room was identified as Ms. Free’s 4-month-old daughter. She was allowed to call a family member to pick up the infant, as officers found outstanding warrants against her out of Burlington, police said.
Police also found more pieces of the crack pipe and a partially smoked "blunt" in the room according to reports.
The father said he rented the room and "agreed that his actions were not those of a rational person" and agreed to be transported to Rancocas Hospital.
Ms. Cawley was transported to the Hamilton Township Police Department and Ms. Free was taken to the Burlington Township Police Department.
The case is pending court action. Police said there are no charges pending against the 80-year-old man.
FLORENCE
Police charged a Trenton man with receiving stolen property at 4:46 a.m. Tuesday.
According to police, a township woman reported around 1:45 a.m. that her car had been taken by a man she knew only by a nickname, whom she met earlier that evening. Around 4:45 a.m., police said, officers spotted the car while on patrol near East Fifth and Chestnut streets.
The driver, 20-year-old Reed Henry Lane Jr., was charged with receiving stolen property, driving while suspended and failure to wear a seat belt. He was taken to the Burlington County Jail in lieu of $2,500 bail.
A 12-year-old student at Florence Middle School was charged with carrying a prohibited weapon Monday, after po-lice received a call that the boy had brought a stiletto knife to school.
Police said the boy did not threaten or harm anyone with the 3-inch blade, but he was charged and released to his parents around noon. A court date is pending.
Thieves struck twice against churchgoers Sunday afternoon, stealing a car parked near St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church and attempting to steal a stereo from a car parked at the Fountain of Life Center.
According to police, both burglaries occurred while the owners were attending services.
Between 8:15 and 10 a.m., police said, someone stole a 1988 Ford LTD, New Jersey license plate FPY-80L, which was parked beside St. Nicholas Church, on Roland Street, police said. The car’s value is estimated at $2,000.
About five miles away, between 10 a.m. and 1:15 p.m., in the parking lot of Fountain of Life on Burlington-Columbus Road, police said, someone broke into a 1995 Chevy Lumina through the passenger door and tried to remove the stereo. The would-be thieves were unsuccessful, however, and the result was damage to the car.
Police said the crimes could be related; the investigation is ongoing and charges are pending.
Anyone with information about the crimes is asked to call Florence police at (609) 499-3131.
Police are investigating a burglary that was reported by employees of the Roebling Town Market on Hornberger Avenue on March 5.
According to the report, someone pried open the market’s front door between 9 p.m. March 4 and 7 a.m. March 5 and stole 150 packs of cigarettes worth an undetermined amount, plus money from charitable donation containers.
Anyone with information is urged to call police at (609) 499-3131.