Home invasion charges filed in Princeton

Police say two are affiliated with the Bloods gang

By: Nick Norlen
   Police are continuing to investigate following the home invasion robbery allegedly perpetrated by three teenagers — two of whom are affiliated with the Bloods gang — in Princeton Borough on Sunday. There have been reports of similar incidents nearby.
   Township resident Rudi V. Delma, 19, and a 16-year-old male borough resident were charged with burglary, robbery and criminal restraint after a 57-year-old male resident of the 200 block of John Street called police 7:30 a.m. Sunday to report that the individuals forced him into his apartment and stole his wallet while his wife and daughter slept.
   A 16-year-old female borough resident who police said served as a lookout during the incident was charged with complicity in those crimes.She does not have gang ties, police said.
   After township and borough patrols responded to the scene, the three suspects were arrested in the vicinity of Mr. Delma’s home on Leigh Avenue within approximately five to 10 minutes, according to Princeton Borough Police Lt. Nick Sutter.
   However, the trio might have been involved in other crimes before the incident and even just prior to their arrest, Lt. Sutter said.
   "Witnesses in the area said that there were similar type robberies committed by these suspects on the street — not in homes — immediately prior to and after the incident occurred," he said.
   While that has not been confirmed, there "seems to be a repetitive theme" to incidents in the area, Lt. Sutter said.
   "Our investigation has shown that at least this victim may have been targeted based on his race," he said. "Most likely because these individuals felt that people of Hispanic descent were less likely to call police."
   But police are "stopping short of calling it a biased incident," he said.
   Police are asking anyone who witnessed or was a victim of a similar incident to call Princeton Borough Detective Sgt. Christopher Quaste at 609-924-4141.
   "We really want to get the message out that we want people to know that they can safely and confidently report these incidents. They should fear nothing from the police by reporting these incidents," said Lt. Sutter. "That’s what we’re here for."
   Mr. Delma is now being held in Mercer County Correctional Center on $100,000 full cash bail.
   An additional $75,000 was added to his initial bail of $25,000 because he was also charged with employing a juvenile in the commission of a crime, Lt. Sutter said.
   The male juvenile was placed in Mercer County Youth Detention Center and the female juvenile was released to her parents.
   The charges for Mr. Delma came just two days after he was released on bail from the correctional center, where he was being held for assault charges stemming from a June 27 incident in which he allegedly punched a female motorist in the face, broke the windshield of her vehicle and kicked an officer several times while resisting arrest.