Montgomery Police Report Thefts, Arrests and Brush Fire in Recent Weekly Activity

MONTGOMERY — The Montgomery Township Police Department has released details of several incidents recently handled by officers, including reported thefts, warrant-related arrests, a shoplifting investigation and a brush fire that damaged property but resulted in no injuries.

Police said a Belle Mead resident reported on April 13 that an Apple Watch had been stolen from a delivered package. According to the report, the resident retrieved the package from the common area of an apartment building and discovered the watch had been removed from the box.

Also on April 13, police received a report from a Princeton resident regarding the theft of items from a wallet that had been accidentally dropped in the parking lot of the Princeton North Shopping Center. After returning to the shopping center and locating the wallet, the resident found that cash, a debit card and a credit card were missing.

In a separate incident early April 14, Officer Chapkowski conducted a stop involving a bicyclist for riding without illuminated lights and traveling against the flow of traffic, police said. During the stop, the officer discovered an active warrant issued by Franklin Township. The individual was taken into custody, processed at Montgomery Township Police Department headquarters and later turned over to Franklin Township police.

Later that day, Officer Chris Parlow stopped a motorist operating an uninspected vehicle, according to police. During the stop, Officer Parlow learned of an active warrant issued through Clifton. The driver was arrested, transported to police headquarters for processing and issued summonses for failure to inspect and driving while suspended. Police said the individual is scheduled to appear in Montgomery Municipal Court, while Clifton Municipal Court issued a new court date related to the warrant.

On April 19, Montgomery police responded to ShopRite on a report of shoplifting. Officer Kopyto met with store loss prevention personnel, who had detained a shopper accused of leaving the store without paying for $169 in merchandise, police said. The individual was arrested, processed at headquarters, charged with shoplifting and released pending an appearance in Montgomery Municipal Court.

Police also reported that on April 22, a resident of Primrose Court reported the theft of packages from a front step. The packages were said to contain iPhones, smartwatches and clothing. The department’s detective bureau is investigating.

Later that night, Officer Matt Decataldo stopped a vehicle after learning the driver was allegedly operating it while suspended, according to police. During the stop, Officer Decataldo discovered an active warrant from Lawrence Township. The driver was arrested and processed at police headquarters, then issued a summons for driving while suspended and scheduled to appear in Montgomery Municipal Court. Lawrence Township Municipal Court provided a new court date related to the warrant, police said.

In addition to the theft and arrest reports, emergency responders were called April 21 to River Birch Circle for a brush fire. Montgomery police, Montgomery Fire Company No. 2, Montgomery EMS and Rocky Hill Fire Company responded to the scene at 3:51 p.m. Upon arrival, officers found a mulch bed burning between a building and a parking lot. Authorities extinguished the fire, which remains under investigation. Police said the blaze damaged two nearby vehicles as well as siding on the building. No injuries were reported.

Photo Credit: Daniel Tadevosyan/shutterstock.com