Arrest After Failing to Appear in Court
On May 26, 2026, Det. Makwinski and Officer Anthony Pizzola responded to a residence on Route 31 to attempt to serve an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in Hopewell Township Municipal Court. Upon contacting the person at his residence, he was advised of the outstanding warrant for his arrest. He was subsequently taken into custody and escorted to HTPD for processing. Following processing, he was provided with a new court date for Hopewell Township Municipal court and released on his own recognizance.
Warrant Arrest After Traffic Stop
On May 24, 2026, Officer Anthony Pizzola was on routine patrol in the area of Denow Rd and Pennington Rd when he observed a gold Nissan Altima stopped at the traffic light, preparing to make a left turn and continue south on Pennington Rd. A check of the vehicle’s registration was conducted and revealed that the registered owner had an active warrant issued out of the City of Trenton. Officer Pizzola initiated a motor vehicle stop and identified the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle. He was then placed under arrest on the outstanding warrant and transported to HTPD for processing. Following processing, he was provided with a new court date for Trenton Municipal Court and released on his own recognizance.
Airline Miles Stolen
Officer Christopher Hayes responded to police headquarters for a walk-in report of theft on May 27, 2026. Upon arrival, the victim reported that unknown suspect(s) had used 75,000 miles from her American Airlines Mastercard without her consent. She stated that the value of the miles was approximately $750.00. She advised that she had been made aware of the transaction after receiving a confirmation email from American Airlines Customer Service. She advised that she had already reported the incident to her credit card company, who was conducting their own investigation. The incident remains under investigation.
Impersonating an Officer Fraud Cases Continue
On May 29, 2026, Officer Kristin Freas-Papa and Officer James Klesney responded to HTPD for a walk-in report of fraud. The victim reported that he had received calls from several phone numbers, advising him that he had missed jury duty and needed to pay $35,000.00 to satisfy a warrant that had been issued for his arrest. He indicated that the callers had initially stated that they were with the United States District Court and he was sent a copy of the alleged warrant. He stated that he also received a voicemail from an individual claiming to be a Sergeant with the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department. He advised that he had been on the phone with the caller for approximately an hour and a half when he became suspicious and decided to terminate the call. The victim did not send any money and suffered no monetary loss because of the incident. The matter remains under investigation.
Aggravated Assault Charge
On May 29, 2026, HTPD officers responded to the area of Village Square for a report of a party who was having difficulty breathing following a physical altercation. Upon arrival, officers found the victim, who stated she had been pepper sprayed. The investigation revealed the incident was a continuation of an earlier dispute that occurred in Trenton. While speaking with officers, the victim received several threatening messages from the accused through a social media account. Through follow-up investigation, officers identified the suspect and were able to confirm that her vehicle was in the area at the time of the reported assault. They were subsequently charged with Aggravated Assault, Criminal Mischief, and Terroristic Threats on a complaint warrant. The matter will be heard in Mercer County Superior Court.
Suspicious Phone Call Impersonates Chinese Office
Officer Arthur Juba responded to HTPD for a walk-in report of a suspicious occurrence on May 13, 2026. The victim reported receiving a phone call from an individual claiming to represent United Healthcare’s international office and speaking in Mandarin. The caller advised the victim that someone had allegedly used his passport information to apply for travel insurance and requested a photograph of his passport to verify his identity, which the victim provided. The victim was then transferred to an individual claiming to be affiliated with a police department in China to assist with the alleged fraud investigation. The victim later became suspicious of the interaction and decided to report it to local police. He advised that he had notified his financial institutions as a precaution and had not suffered any monetary loss at the time of the report. The matter remains under investigation.
Soap and Energy Drinks Stolen from Shoprite
On June 5, 2026, Officer James Stanton was dispatched to Stop & Shop for a report of shoplifting. Loss prevention reported that approximately one hour prior to contacting police, an unknown male had entered the store and filled a shopping cart with multiple bars of Dove soap, Red Bull energy drinks, and Monster energy drinks. The suspect then exited the store without paying for the merchandise and began walking toward a black Hyundai Santa Fe, bearing a New Jersey registration. A loss prevention officer followed the suspect outside and asked if he intended to return the stolen items. In response, the suspect, without turning around, shoved the shopping cart in the loss prevention officer’s direction before entering the vehicle and leaving the area. The total value of the stolen merchandise was $536.65. Surveillance footage of the incident was provided to Officer Stanton. The incident remains under investigation.
Arrest for Outstanding Warrant
On June 2, 2026, Officer James Stanton responded to a residence on Village Square to attempt to serve two outstanding warrants for a woman. The warrants had been issued by the City of Trenton and New Jersey Human Services Police. Upon making contact with her at her residence, she was advised of the outstanding warrants for her arrest. She was subsequently taken into custody and transported to HTPD for processing. Following processing, custody was transferred to officers from the NJ Human Services Police. The matters will be heard in Trenton Municipal Court.
