By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
Eugene Napolitano, who is suspected in the May 29 burglaries of two homes on Jeffrey Circle, surrendered to the South Brunswick Township Police Department June 15, according to the Police Department.
Mr. Napolitano has been charged with two counts of burglary, possession of burglary tools and eluding. The 50-year-old Monmouth Junction resident has been placed in the Middlesex County Correction Center in lieu of $170,000 bail, police said.
The May 29 burglary incident began when a resident on Jeffrey Circle called police to report two suspicious white men in the neighborhood. One man was sitting in the passenger side of a green van that was parked on the street, police said.
A patrol sergeant parked his patrol car and began to get out of the car when he saw a man — later identified as Mr. Napolitano — come around the side of a house down the street. The sergeant called to him to stop, but Mr. Napolitano ran to the van and jumped into the driver’s seat and fled.
Police officers were sent to the scene and began to check for additional suspects at the home from which Mr. Napolitano had fled. The sergeant discovered a screwdriver, gloves and pry marks on the house, police said. Police also discovered a second home where the suspects had pried open a window, but nothing was taken from either house.
The green van was found a few minutes later, abandoned, on Benjamin Court, police said. Police and the K-9 unit searched the area unsuccessfully for Mr. Napolitano and his companion. A search warrant was executed and police recovered evidence that linked him to additional burglaries.
