Drunk Driving Charge After Cart Found in Parking Lot
On August 1, 2026, Officer Blake Demeter and Officer Jenkins responded to the parking lot of a business on Rt 31 to assist other HTPD officers in investigating a suspicious vehicle. Officer Rushing initially located the vehicle parked in the lot of the closed business and found the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle asleep in the driver’s seat with the engine running. Upon making contact with him, officers observed signs of intoxication and requested that he exit the vehicle to perform standardized field sobriety tests. Once outside of the vehicle, he refused to perform field sobriety testing. Based on the officers’ observations, he was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence. Officers transported him to HTPD for processing and breath testing. Upon arrival at HTPD, he refused to submit to breath testing. Before being released from custody, he was charged with Driving Under the Influence, Refusal to Submit to Breath Testing, and Reckless Driving. The matter will be heard in Hopewell Township Municipal Court.
Facebook Marketplace Vehicle Sale Leads to Theft
On August 2, 2026, Officer Milo De Los Santos responded to police headquarters for a walk-in report of theft. The victim reported that she had contacted the seller of a vehicle advertised on Facebook Marketplace. She was then instructed to send a down payment for the vehicle through Cash App to an account bearing a different name. When she attempted the transaction, Cash App displayed a warning that the account had previously been associated with fraud. After the victim notified the seller of this, the seller instructed her to send the payment through Zelle instead. The victim then sent a $500.00 down payment, after which the seller ceased communication and blocked her from viewing the original listing. No additional payments were sent for the vehicle. The incident remains under investigation.
Cracked Windshield Leads to Outstanding Warrant Arrest
Officer Anthony Pizzola was conducting routine patrol near the intersection of Pennington Rd and Bull Run Rd on August 2, 2026, when he observed a tan Kia Optima with a cracked windshield stopped at the traffic signal. After observing the violation, Officer Pizzola positioned his patrol vehicle behind the Kia and conducted a check of the vehicle’s registration. The check revealed an active warrant out of Princeton Township for the registered owner. Officer Pizzola then initiated a motor vehicle stop and confirmed that was driving the vehicle. He was arrested on the outstanding warrant and transported to HTPD for processing. He was given a new court date for Princeton Municipal Court and released on his own recognizance.
Speeding Leads to Outstanding Warrant Arrest
On August 2, 2026, Officer Toney Rushing was conducting a traffic enforcement detail in the area of Scotch Rd when he observed a Honda CRV with a tinted front window traveling at a rate of speed that was higher than the posted speed limit. After observing the violations, Officer Rushing initiated a motor vehicle stop and made contact with the driver of the vehicle. He then conducted a check of her driver’s license, which revealed an active warrant out of Hamilton Township. She was arrested on the outstanding warrant and transported to HTPD for processing. She was later given a new court date for Hamilton Township Municipal Court and released on her own recognizance.
Appliances Stolen from Hopewell Parc
Officer Marissa McCallum responded to a residence on Cora Bergen Blvd for a report of theft on August 3, 2026. Upon arrival, she spoke with a Lennar employee, who reported that unknown individuals had entered one of the unoccupied buildings and stole a GE stainless steel gas range. The theft occurred sometime between July 31st and August 3rd. There were no signs of forced entry to the building. The range was valued at approximately $646.00. The incident remains under investigation.
Stolen Firewood Caught on Camera
On August 4, 2026, Officer Ryan Finnegan responded to a business on Pennington Hopewell Rd for a report of theft. The victim stated that on the previous day an unidentified male came onto the property and took firewood without permission. The victim provided surveillance footage showing a red Toyota Corolla bearing a New Jersey registration pull into the driveway. A male then exited the vehicle, took several pieces of firewood from the victim’s property, placed them in his car, and left the scene. After further follow-up investigation, Officer Finnegan identified the male. He was later charged on a summons with Theft by Unlawful Taking. The matter will be heard in Hopewell Township Municipal Court.
Man Charged After Impersonating Firefighter
Officer Tyler Blake responded to police headquarters for a walk-in report of harassment on August 4, 2026. The reporting party stated that he worked for a fire-remediation service and had responded to a house fire in Hopewell Township earlier that morning. He advised that, while at the scene, a male from another remediation service began yelling at him and accusing him of impersonating a police officer because of his attire, which included a tactical-style vest and a badge worn around his neck. At the time of the walk-in report, he was still wearing the badge, which identified him as a member of a fire department in Morris County. Based on statements he made during the conversation, officers requested and received consent to search his person and vehicle. The search revealed firefighter gear, a metal security badge, and an identification card from a fire department in Ocean County. Officer Blake contacted both fire departments and confirmed that he was not an active member of either department. He was charged on a summons with Impersonating a Public Official. The matter will be heard in Hopewell Township Municipal Court.
Tinted Window Leads to Outstanding Warrant Arrest
On August 5, 2026, Officer Toney Rushing was on routine patrol on Rt. 31 when he observed a green Jeep Grand Cherokee with a tinted front windshield traveling northbound. After observing the violation, Officer Rushing got behind the vehicle to initiate a motor vehicle stop and conducted a check of the vehicle’s registration. The check revealed an active warrant out of Watchung Borough for the registered owner. After stopping the vehicle, Officer Rushing confirmed that she was the driver. She was then arrested on the outstanding warrant and transported to HTPD for processing. She was later given a new court date for Watchung Borough Municipal Court and released on her own recognizance.
Unauthorized HELOC Charge
On August 6, 2026, Officer Milo De Los Santos responded to police headquarters for a walk-in report of fraud. The victim reported that he had a home equity line of credit and, on July 1st, noticed that the balance had increased by $98,760.60. He stated that the transaction was unauthorized and that he only uses paper checks to withdraw funds from the account. The incident was reported to the financial institution’s fraud department and remains under investigation.
DUI Charge on Rt 31
Officer James Klesney was conducting traffic enforcement on Rt. 31 on August 7, 2026, when a passerby reported that his vehicle had nearly been struck by a yellow van, which was driving erratically and had nearly struck several other vehicles head-on. The passerby advised that the van had pulled over just north of their location. Officer Klesney then checked the area and located the van stopped in the northbound shoulder of Rt. 31 near Mine Rd., facing southbound. Upon contacting the driver Officer Klesney observed signs of intoxication and asked him to exit the vehicle to perform standardized field sobriety tests. Based on his observations, he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. He was transported to HTPD for processing and breath testing. Prior to his release, he was charged with Driving Under the Influence, Driving While Suspended, Reckless Driving, Failure to Keep Right, Failure to Possess Proof of Insurance, Failure to Possess Proof of Registration, Failure to Notify the DMV of an Address Change, Consumption of Alcohol in a Motor Vehicle, Possession of an Open Container of Alcohol in a Motor Vehicle, Failure to Use Hazard Signals, and Failure to Surrender a Driver’s License While Suspended. The matter will be heard in Hopewell Township Municipal Court.
Amazon Account info Stolen
On August 9, 2026, Officer Marissa McCallum and Officer Wright responded to a residence on Denow Rd. for a report of fraud. The victim stated that unknown actor(s) had gained access to her Amazon account and used it to purchase two Apple Watches valued at $657.78. The delivery address for the watches was located in Monterey Park, California. The victim advised that she had successfully canceled the order and had contacted her bank to dispute the charges. The Monterey Park Police Department was notified of the incident, and the matter remains under investigation.
Overturned Car Leads to DUI
Officer Jack Lane and other HTPD units responded to a report of an overturned vehicle off the roadway on August 9, 2026, in the area of Harbourton Rocktown Rd. Upon arrival, officers observed a silver Acura RDX overturned and facing southbound in the northbound lane. The vehicle had also struck a utility pole. The occupants were already out of the vehicle, and the passenger stated that the driver had fallen asleep at the wheel. While speaking with him, officers observed signs of intoxication and asked him to perform standardized field sobriety tests. Based on their observations, he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. He was transported to HTPD for processing and breath testing. Before his release, he was charged with Driving Under the Influence, Reckless Driving, Careless Driving, Possession of an Open Container of Alcohol in a Motor Vehicle, and Failure to Maintain Lane. The matter will be heard in Hopewell Township Municipal Court.
Traffic Stop Leads to Outstanding Warrant Arrest
On August 12, 2026, Officer Stanton and Officer Milo De Los Santos were conducting routine patrol near the Pennington Circle when they observed a black Cadillac SUV traveling southbound. The officers conducted a random check of the vehicle’s registration, which revealed an active warrant from the City of Trenton for the registered owner. The check also indicated that her driving privileges were suspended. The officers initiated a motor vehicle stop and confirmed that she was operating the vehicle. She was arrested on the outstanding warrant and transported to HTPD for processing. Upon completion of processing, the Trenton Police Department responded and took custody of her. Before being turned over to Trenton Police, she was issued a motor vehicle summons for Driving While Suspended. The matter will be heard in Hopewell Township Municipal Court.
Cars Broken into in Hopewell Parc
On August 14, 2026, Officer Karla Jenkins and Officer Enriquez responded to Hopewell Parc for the report of three vehicles that had been entered sometime overnight between August 13th and August 14th. Two of the vehicles were located on Samuel Peterson Dr., and the third was on Aaron Truehart Way. All three vehicles were unlocked at the time that they were entered. Approximately $52.00 in cash, debit cards, and other items were taken from the vehicles. Detective Collins responded to the scene to process the vehicles for evidence and assist with the investigation. Officers also canvassed the surrounding neighborhood for video surveillance. The matter remains under investigation.
