By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
LAWRENCE — A Philadelphia man who embarked on a purse-snatching spree and used stolen credit cards to make purchases has been charged with two counts of theft and two counts of receiving stolen property, according to police Detective Sgt. Joseph Lech IV.
Michael D. Galante, 40, of Philadelphia, is facing additional charges for incidents that occurred in other jurisdictions that include Hamilton Township and the Pennsylvania townships of Bensalem, Bristol and Middletown, Sgt. Lech said. He was apprehended on June 23, following a police pursuit that started in Ewing Township and ended in Philadelphia.
Mr. Galante was charged by Lawrence police with theft and receiving stolen property for taking purses belonging to two victims — a 55-year-old woman and a 75-year-old woman — in separate incidents in the parking lot outside the ShopRite grocery store at the Mercer Mall last month.
The pursuit that ended in Mr. Galante’s apprehension began in Ewing Township, and was initiated by Lawrence Police Officer Joseph Radlinsky, Sgt. Lech said. The Lawrence police officer was assisting the Hamilton Township Police Department in locating Mr. Galante, who had committed a robbery at the Acme grocery store on Route 33.
“Based on a multi-jurisdictional investigation, Mr. Galante was known to fraudulently use stolen credit cards at the Home Depot on Olden Avenue in Ewing Township,” Sgt. Lech said. “We got an alert, and Officer Radlinsky went to the Home Depot on Olden Avenue.”
Officer Radlinsky had the description of the car that Mr. Galante was supposed to be driving, which had been reported stolen in Philadelphia, Sgt. Lech said. He saw the car pull into the parking lot and watched as Mr. Galante went into Home Depot. Officer Radlinsky tried to apprehend him, but he got into the car and fled.
Officer Radlinsky began to chase Mr. Galante, who led police on a pursuit from Ewing Township and into Trenton, and then across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania, Sgt. Lech said. Pennsylvania police picked up the chase, which ended after Mr. Galante was involved in an accident on Woodhaven Road in Philadelphia.
Mr. Galante was taken to the Bucks County (Pa.) jail on $750,000 bail.
