MANVILLE: Police blotter for week of Dec. 5-11

   A caller at 9:46 a.m. Dec. 5 reported finding a bathroom sink illegally dumped on her Louis Street property. The public works department advised her to report it to police before they picked it up.

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   Many callers reported crossing gates stuck in the down position at the 13th Avenue railroad crossing at 3:13 p.m. Dec. 5. Norfolk Southern was advised and went to the scene.

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   A North 3rd Avenue caller said his neighbor’s dog was using his lawn as a bathroom at 3:45 p.m. Dec. 5. Police spoke to both parties involved.

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   An 87-year-old North 8th Avenue man passed away in his sleep, reported his son at 5:55 a.m. Dec. 6.

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   Wal-Mart reported having an alleged shoplifter in custody at 2:18 p.m. Dec. 6. William Fahey, 54, of South Main Street was charged and taken to Somerset County Jail in default of $1,500 bail.

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   A representative of SHA Motors Inc. of Newark, Delaware, came to headquarters at 3:17 p.m. Dec. 6 to report a Delaware dealer plate was stolen from his vehicle while at Adesa Auction in the previous week. Estimated cost to replace: $5.

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   A fire was reported on North 6th Avenue at 8:09 p.m. Dec. 6. Patrols said the fire department found some readings on the second floor and would wait for PSE&G to come out.

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   Tieyese Brown, 40, was charged with a disorderly persons offense at 10:18 p.m. Dec. 6 after she and Albert Thomas had an alleged dispute outside a South Main Street address. She was taken to Somerset County Jail in lieu of $250 bail.

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   A West Camplain Road caller reported an oven fire in her apartment at 10 a.m. Dec. 7. Police said scraps of food or grease on foil in the oven flared up but extinguished themselves before they arrived.

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   Caller said a short, heavy black man was trying to enter a North Weiss Street apartment at 12:29 p.m. Dec. 7. Police found the man was only standing there and not trying to enter.

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   Zbigniew Lampe of Theodore Drive, Hillsborough, came to headquarters at 3:47 p.m. Dec. 8 to say a check he had sent to Somerville for association dues was cashed by an unknown male at Somerset Savings Bank in Manville. He found out when association told him $311 dues were not paid. An investigation continues.

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   A Washington Avenue woman came to headquarters at 4:35 p.m. Dec. 8 to say someone had gotten her debit card number and used it to buy $94.58 in merchandise from Kroger Foods in Decatur, Illinois. She had contacted Wells Fargo, canceled the account and opened a new one.

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   Karen Borkowski of Bound brook called at 5:48 p.m. Dec. 8 to say she had lost her black cloth Playboy bunny purse with cash, driver’s license and bank, credit and Social Security cards. Police said a “good Samaritan,” Heidi Russo of South Daytona, Florida, had secured the purse in her vehicle for an owner to claim. The property was returned to Ms. Borkowski.

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   A West Camplain Road woman called at 5:50 p.m. Dec. 8 to report someone had tried to remove a tire from her car overnight while it was parked in her driveway. Five lug nuts had been loosened from front driver’s side tire before being tightened by a family member, but one hub cover, valued at $50, was taken.

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   Emmy-Lu Griffith, 22, of Manville was charged with a controlled dangerous substance offense at 11:23 p.m. Dec. 8 after a motor vehicle stop on Brooks Boulevard. She was released.

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   At 12:20 p.m. Dec. 9 Assistant Principal Steve Venuto reported graffiti in boys’ bathroom adjacent to the cafeteria at Manville High School. Patrols saw a swastika and recorded it as criminal mischief.

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   Paul Miller of Dakota Street reported the theft of a 24-foot aluminum ladder, valued at $200, from his yard between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Dec. 9.

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   A bug fogger set off a fire alarm at a South Main Street address at 9:29 p.m. Dec. 9. Police, fire and rescue squad responded.

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   An 18-year-old Hillsborough woman’s purse was taken and found in the men’s room at the Rustic Mall at 12:15 a.m. Dec. 10. Missing were three credit cards and $150 in cash.

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   Caller reported two males walking out of “the valley” with a saw and pipes at 7:08 a.m. Dec. 10. Patrols found nothing.

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   A Huff Avenue caller said at 1:48 Dec 10 that kitchen appliances had been taken. Patrols found a sink and counter top valued at $2,000 had been taken between 7:45 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. An investigation continues.

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   A Rabens Avenue man reported at 7:16 p.m. Dec. 10 that a burglary had taken place at his home sometime in the last seven months. Investigation and value of items was to follow.

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   A South Main Street caller said she had smoke in her residence from burnt food in neighbor’s apartment at 12:50 p.m. Dec. 11. Police, fire and rescue squad responded. Patrols confirmed burnt food.

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   Dennis Ramirez said at 3:03 p.m. Dec. 11 that sometime since the Hurricane Irene his previous tenants removed an estimated $3,000 worth of copper wiring from his rental on North 2nd Avenue. Patrolman Nickolas Franzoso is investigating.