By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
A 20-year-old Somerset man, who eluded police until he was finally caught in the attic of a vacant house on Ewing Street, is facing multiple charges that include burglary and weapons offenses, according to the Princeton Police Department.
Anthony Eason, 20, of Somerset, was charged with burglary, eluding, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, obstruction of the administration of law and possession of burglar tools, police said.
Police were investigating a suspicious car that was parked in the area of Terhune Road around 1:30 a.m. Aug. 1, based on information that the car had been used in several burglaries outside of Princeton.
While the police officers were conducting their investigation, a man came out from behind several bushes in the 100 block of Dodds Lane. He began to run and did not obey their orders to stop. The officers were unable to find him.
A few hours later, shortly after 6 a.m., police responded to the report of a car alarm that was going off in the area of Harriet Drive. As they were responding, the officers noticed a man who matched the description of the suspect who had fled from them several hours earlier.
The officers tried to talk to the man, but he ran away. They chased him in the area of North Harrison Street. While they were searching the area, the officers heard a loud noise coming from a house that appeared to be vacant in the 300 block of Ewing Street.
Police found an unlocked door and went into the house to look for the man. They noticed a set of pull-down stairs that led to a crawl space in the attic. Patrolmen Chris King and James Martinez went up into the attic and found a man, later identified as Mr. Eason.
Mr. Eason was kneeling alongside the attic opening, holding an 8-inch-long object in his hand, police said. The officers did not know what the object was, and Patrolman King ordered him several times to drop it. The officers spoke to him and eventually took control of the situation.
After Mr. Eason was placed under arrest, police found the object was a piece of plastic that was larger at the base and tapered toward the end. He was also found to be in possession of a flat screwdriver with a broken handle.
Bail was set at $150,000, and Mr. Eason was taken to the Mercer County Correctional Center after being unable to post it.
