Burglaries could be connected

   MONROE — Police think several burglaries in two retirement communites may be related.

By: Leon Tovey
   MONROE — Township police are exploring the possibility that a series of burglaries in two planned retirement communities since September are related, Detective Sgt. Lawrence Linke said Monday.
   In all, five burglaries have occurred in PRCs since Sept. 23, three in Encore and two in Concordia, Sgt. Linke said. In each case, a burglar or burglars gained access to a residence while no one was home and stole thousands of dollars worth of jewelry, Sgt. Linke said.
   The two most recent incidents happened last week in Encore, Sgt. Linke said. On Nov. 25, $5,000 worth of jewelry was stolen from a residence on Ruben Court between 3 and 8:30 p.m. and on Saturday, cash and jewelry valued at more than $10,000 was stolen from a residence on Spring Meadow Way, Sgt. Linke said.
   Sgt. Linke said the rear sliding door of the residence on Ruben Court had been forced open, but that there was no sign of forced entry at the residence on Spring Meadow Way. However, the rear door was ajar when the homeowner returned, Sgt. Linke said.
   He said there are no suspects in the case. Police are operating on the assumption that the burglaries were committed by someone who entered the gated communities illicitly, he said. The three Encore residences are located adjacent to Applegarth Road while one of the Concordia residences is located adjacent to Prospect Plains Road and the other to Perrineville Road, Sgt. Linke said.
   The first three incidents occurred at a residence on Tyler Court in Encore on the evening of Sept. 23, at a residence on Concordia Circle in Concordia between the evening of Oct. 7 and the afternoon of Oct. 8 and at a residence on Ethan Allen Drive in Concordia on the evening of Nov. 11, Sgt. Linke said. In each of those cases, the thief or thieves gained entrance through a rear sliding door and stole jewelry valued at more than $5,000, Sgt. Linke said.
   Anyone with information related to any of the incidents is asked to contact the Detective Bureau at (732) 521-0222, ext. 514.