BY MELISSA CIFELLI
Staff Writer
Burglary suspect Gabriel Bay, 36, was apprehended by police Sunday. SOUTH BRUNSWICK — A man wanted in a series of Central Jersey break-ins was arrested Sunday in South Brunswick.
Gabriel Bay, 36, who police said is a local transient, was arrested at the Oakdale Mobile Home Park after he allegedly attempted to break into a home on Karen Street Sunday evening.
Bay was apprehended by task force members from the police departments of South Brunswick, North Brunswick, Woodbridge and Edison.
According to police, Bay was seen fleeing the scene by Woodbridge Detective Rich Hardish after the family called 911. Bay, who fled the Karen Street scene on a bicycle stolen from the home, was taken into custody at 10:30 p.m.
According to police, the task force had been in the area this weekend tracking Bay, who was their prime suspect in several nighttime break-ins at gas stations, pizza restaurants, bagel stores and other commercial buildings.
According to South Brunswick Detective James Ryan, police began to focus on Bay as a suspect after North Brunswick detectives were able to track a receipt found at a burglary scene to a relative of Bay, with whom he was staying.
According to Ryan, task force members worked long hours following a Rent-A-Wreck burglary, and set up surveillance of the Oakdale Mobile Home Park where Bay was believed to be staying with a friend.
“It’s really great police work,” Ryan said.
By Monday morning, task force members had linked Bay to burglaries in Edison, South Brunswick and North Brunswick.
Bay is currently charged in South Brunswick with burglaries at Rent-a-Wreck, Exxon, the Chutney Mary Restaurant, Bagel Time and Deli, as well as an attempted break-in to the Karen Street home and the theft of a motor vehicle.
Additional charges were expected to be made in Edison and North Brunswick.
Ryan said he believes Bay will be charged with at least two dozen burglaries.
According to Ryan, the Karen Street home break-in, was an unusual target for Bay, as he usually targeted unoccupied businesses. Ryan said police believe Bay thought the home was unoccupied.
Ryan said Bay would commit “smash and grabs,” breaking into business and stealing money from cash register.
According to Ryan, Bay would come away with less than $100 from the break-ins, but the damage done to the businesses was extensive.
According to Ryan, Bay has a long criminal background.
Bay has previously been charged with numerous counts of burglary and thefts dating back to 1998 in Middlesex and Somerset counties, according to state Department of Corrections records.
Bay was taken to the Middlesex County Correction Center in North Brunswick with bail set at $100,000. Ryan said he expects bail to increase with additional charges in Edison.
The friend whom Bay had been staying with has been cooperative with police and has not been charged, Ryan said.
The investigation was led by Edison Detective Tom Lasik, North Brunswick Detective William Lynch and South Brunswick Detectives James Ryan and Don Varga.
South Brunswick Police Department Chief Michael Paquette credited the work and cooperation of all agencies involved for bringing the suspect to justice.