EDISON — Police thwarted recent vehicle burglaries and burglary attempts by township residents.
Officer Keith Hahn responded to a report of a vehicle burglary in progress on Lilac Street around 6:45 p.m. Witnesses said they saw a man on a bike opening doors on several cars along the street, according to Lt. Sal Filannino.
Around the same time, Officer John Cercatore took a report from a witness in the area of Duclos Lane who said she saw a man shatter the passenger-side window of a vehicle and then flee on a bike. She reported her GPS stolen from her vehicle.
Upon checking the area for the suspect, Hahn found a man fitting the description just over the border of Edison into Highland Park, near Central Avenue and Amherst Street.
Michael Parlatore, 48, of Edison, was charged after Hahn found him allegedly in the process of trying to sell the stolen GPS to another individual, Filannino said.
After his arrest, Parlatore threatened suicide and was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick for evaluation, according to police. Police released him on his own recognizance.
Just over a week earlier at 1 p.m. April 21, Officer Michael Perrotti was patrolling Wick Shopping Plaza on Route 1 when a witness flagged him down to report a male and female attempting to open doors on vehicles parked there, according to Filannino.
“This is a very common crime nowadays, because it’s a crime of opportunity,” he said.
Perrotti located the two individuals — 18-year-old Dylan Kelley of Edison and a 16-year-old female, who police said was acting as a lookout.
Along with Officer Charles Zundel, Perrotti charged the female with conspiracy to commit theft, and Kelley was charged with burglary and criminal attempt, Filannino said. Kelley was also charged with drug paraphernalia, according to police.
None of the vehicles involved appeared to have any items stolen from them, Filannino said.
— Jessica D’Amico