Plainsboro
Cape May Death. A Plainsboro man jumped to his death off an 85-foot boat off the coast of Cape May, near the Cape May Point Lighthouse on June 11.
According to a press release from the United States Coast Guard, Mid-Atlantic division, the Coast Guard recovered the body of 51-year-old Ajit Modi, 51, later the same day, after he jumped off a whale-watching boat.
A helicopter crew from the Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City located him in the water near the Cape May Lewes Ferry Terminal, the press release stated. A boat crew from Coast Guard Station Cape May then recovered his body, which was unresponsive, and transported him to the ferry terminal, the press release states.
Accident. An overturned tractor trailer on Route 1 South on June 19 during the morning rush hour closed the highway and caused a four-hour traffic delay.
According to police, the tractor trailer collided with a sedan, rolled onto its side, and slid across three lanes of the highway, spilling scrap wood all over the highway. Police re-routed traffic onto College Road West from Route 1.
The driver of the sedan was unhurt, and the driver of the truck suffered minor head injuries.
Theft. A resident of Aspen Drive was the victim of theft between June 16 and June 18. Officer Bruce Stankiewicz said someone stole a Direct TV receiver, worth $75, from the victim’s home.
A resident of Fox Run Drive was the victim of theft sometime between 6 p.m. on June 16 and 3 p.m. on June 17. Officer Eric Potts said someone stole a Pentax Optio S6 camera kit, which was sitting on a table on the back porch of her residence. The camera was worth $350. Also taken were the camera storage bag, worth $25, a zoom lens, worth $100, and a memory card worth $25, Potts said.
A resident of Tamarron Drive was the victim of theft on June 19. Corporal Scott Seitz said someone stole the victim’s Razor scooter as it was left unlocked and unattended in the 7500 block of Tamarron Drive. The scooter was estimated to be worth $30.
A resident of Hunters Glen Drive was the victim of theft between June 13 and 14. Officer Adam Wurpel said someone broke into the victim’s house through a rear bedroom window and stole two laptops, a digital camera, camcorder, PlayStation 2, two watches, and $40 in cash. The total value of the stolen items is estimated to be $4,000.
A resident of Thoreau Drive was the victim of theft between 2 and 4 p.m. on June 12 in the parking lot near 64 Thoreau Drive. Officer Arthur Gant said someone stole a laptop computer and carrying case, as well as a Canon digital camera from the victim’s car. The estimated value of the stolen items is $1,800.
A resident of Hunters Glen Drive was the victim of theft between June 9 and 13. Officer Joseph Breyta said someone stole a red and white boys’ Trek 24-inch bicycle, model 220, with a black seat, from the resident’s home. The bicycle is worth $400.
Tampering. Vladimir Raxran, 34, of Sayre Drive was charged June 21 with tampering with public documents. Officer Eric Potts said he stopped him for speeding on Route 1 North and found he was in possession of a false inspection sticker.
Harassment. A resident of Hunters Glen Drive was the victim of harassment on June 18. Officer Martin McElrath said an unidentified intoxicated man tried to gain entry into the victim’s apartment, located near building 29. After failing to do so, he began exchanging words through the door, and left. McElrath said this is the second incident of this nature, and that the detective bureau is investigating.
Criminal Mischief. A resident of Edison was the victim of criminal mischief on June 18 at the municipal building. Officer Martin McElrath said the victim found that someone had damaged the rear driver’s side door of his car while it was parked in the municipal parking lot.
Someone knocked over several under-water lights and a water pump in the fountain in the Village Center near Liberty and Market streets sometime between June 13 and 15. Officer Joseph Breyta said the damage caused flooding to an electrical box, and the fountain was found without water in it because of the broken pump. The total damage is estimated to be $4,000, while the damage amount to the electrical box is still being investigated by Sharbell, the developers that own the fountain.
Plainsboro Police are investigating criminal mischief that took place at Community Middle School between 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on June 16. Officer Brett Olma said someone threw ball bearings, obtained from a science class, at two windows in the school, damaging both. The estimated cost of replacement is $1,000.
A resident of Pheasant Hollow Drive was the victim of criminal mischief on May 5. Officer Adam Wurpel said someone forcibly opened the front door of the victim’s home, damaging both the door and the frame. The damage is estimated to be $200.
DWI. Rakesh N. Patel, 47, of Franklin Park was charged June 16 with driving while intoxicated. Officer Scott Seitz said he stopped him on Route 1 North for failing to maintain a lane and found he was intoxicated. He was also charged with reckless driving, failure to maintain a lane, consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle, possession of alcohol in a motor vehicle, and having an uninsured vehicle.
Ricardo L. Padilla-Torrau, 47, of Jamesburg was charged June 14 with driving while intoxicated. Officer George Cier said he stopped Padilla-Torrau after he saw he was swaying and crossing over the double yellow center line on Dey Road and found he was intoxicated. He was also charged with failure to maintain a lane and reckless driving.
West Windsor
Car Accident. Three people, including a 19-month-old infant, were critically injured as a result of a car crash on Village Road West on June 12.
Officer Lee Evans said that Bruce Argenti, 60, of Hamilton drifted over the double yellow lines near 800 Village Road West and slammed head-on into a car driven by Lauren Pasko, 25, of East Windsor, who had the infant in a car seat in the rear of her car. Both drivers had to be extricated from their cars by the Princeton Junction and West Windsor fire companies. Both sustained serious injuries and were transported to Capital Health Systems, Helene Fuld campus.
Officer Robert Fow performed mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing on the infant at the scene until EMS workers arrived. The infant was then airlifted to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Lieutenant Carl Walsh said this week that Pasko was recovering, with injuries to both legs. Argenti was still listed in critical condition, with multiple broken bones, and the infant is still listed in critical condition, although he is doing things on his own, including moving his arms and legs.
Theft. Someone stole a printer from the Information Technology Building at Mercer County Community College sometime between June 15 and June 21, Officer Michael Bollentin said.
A resident of East Windsor was the victim of credit card theft on June 20. Sergeant Brian Gallant said someone used the victim’s credit card at the Target in Nassau Park. He said the victim reported that her wallet had been stolen from her handbag about an hour earlier at the Quakerbridge Mall.
A resident of North Brunswick was the victim of theft sometime between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. on June 15 in the Wal-Mart parking lot. Officer Frank Sabatino said someone stole a GPS unit, clothing, and credit cards from the victim’s car.
West Windsor Police are looking for a suspect in connection with a theft at Barnes and Noble on June 16 around 1 p.m. Officer
Douglas Montgomery said a customer saw the suspect reach into her pocketbook, which was hanging over the back of her chair, and remove cash. Montgomery said she yelled at the suspect as he was leaving the store, and that the suspect returned it, saying he found the cash on the floor.
However, upon checking her pocketbook, the victim noticed her credit cards were missing and canceled them, only to find out an unauthorized transaction had occurred on one of them.
The suspect — a clean-shaven black male, about 6-feet-2-inches in height, of thin build, wearing a grey T-shirt, blue button up shirt, blue jeans, and a blue baseball cap — fled the store in a grey wagon with Pennsylvania license plates.
Harold Legerme, 19, Charmain Boothe, 34, and Claudia Smith, 40, all of Brooklyn, were charged with theft by deception. Officer Melissa Nagy said they removed $731.05 worth of merchandise from the shelves and attempted to return the items for cash. They were charged at West Windsor Police headquarters and released on $2,500 bail with a 10 percent option.
Christopher Elliott, 31, of Burlington was charged June 8 with theft from Ulta. Officer David Jelinski said that while employed by the store, he stole $344 worth of merchandise.
A West Windsor woman was the victim of a credit card theft and subsequent illegal credit card purchases on May 14 at the Big Fish restaurant in MarketFair.
According to Officer Michael Pitts, between 7 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. someone stole cash and credit cards from the victim’s wallet in her purse.
Suspected of the crime are a black male and black female in their 20s whom a restaurant hostess reported sitting at a table adjacent to the victim. According to the hostess, the couple abruptly left without ordering after about 10 minutes.
Officer Pitts said the victim’s credit cards were used to make $4,466 in purchases at area stores, including Toys R Us, Best Buy, and Famous Footwear.
Shoplifting. A 17-year-old male resident of Kendall Park was charged June 15 with shoplifting at Wal-Mart. Officer Douglas Montgomery said he stole a car stereo by concealing it in a black canvas bag and trying to leave the store.
Shaneese Beatty, 21, of Trenton was charged June 8 with shoplifting at Wal-Mart. Officer Justin Insalaco said she concealed various articles of clothing, worth a total $84, and tried to leave the store without paying.
Alice Mann, 20, of Trenton was charged June 8 with shoplifting at Wal-Mart. Officer William Jones said she concealed $116 worth of clothing in her purse and left the store without paying.
Pierre Moise, 18, of Hamilton, was charged June 8 with shoplifting at Kohl’s. She also was charged with possession of marijuana under 50 grams. Officer Lee Brodowski said she put $66 worth of panties and a shirt in her handbag and tried to leave without paying. He said police found marijuana on her at the time of her arrest.
A 17-year-old girl from Trenton was charged June 8 with shoplifting at Kohl’s. Officer Campbell Knox said she stole $93 worth of clothing from the store.
Tiffany Counts, 31, of Trenton was charged June 8 with shoplifting at Wal-Mart. Officer Lee Brodowski said she concealed $96.27 worth of clothing in her handbag and tried to leave the store without paying.
Drug Arrests. Robert F. Rumpf Jr., 43 of Minersville, PA, and Keith B. Danezo, 38, of Pottsville, PA, were charged June 16 with possession of marijuana under 50 grams. Officer Jason Jones said he stopped them on Route 571 and Slayback Drive and found the marijuana.
DWI. Jason Wilder, 33, of Trenton was charged June 19 with driving while intoxicated. Officer Lee Brodowski said he stopped him for speeding on Route 1 South and found he was intoxicated. He was also charged with reckless driving and speeding.
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