Baby formula stolen from Stop & Shop
On March 16, 2026, Officer Collin Brigham responded to Stop & Shop for a report of shoplifting. Upon his arrival on scene, Officer Brigham met with loss prevention, who reported that an unidentified male had stolen baby formula totaling $636.00. The male was later observed entering a silver Toyota 4runner. The license plate for the suspect vehicle is unknown. The incident remains under investigation.
Fake Mexican license found at traffic stop
On March 13, 2026, Officer George Peterson was conducting routine traffic enforcement on Rt. 579 when he observed a red dump truck traveling northbound, which was in excess of the posted weight limit. Officer Peterson initiated a motor vehicle stop and made contact with the driver. During the interaction, the driver presented a Mexican commercial driver’s license, which was determined to be fraudulent. The driver was placed under arrest and transported to HTPD for processing. He was charged with fictitious government documents, along with several traffic violations. The traffic violations will be heard in Hopewell Township Municipal Court, and the criminal matter will be heard in Mercer County Superior Court.
Car evades being stopped in Twp.
Sgt. Nicholas Sparaco was conducting a commercial property check when he observed a dark-colored Nissan sedan with an inoperable headlight exit a parking lot and travel westbound on Denow Rd. on March 15, 2026. He activated his emergency lights and siren to initiate a motor vehicle stop but briefly deactivated them due to an unsafe stopping location. The vehicle then turned left onto Pennington Rd, nearly striking another vehicle. Sgt. Sparaco then reactivated his emergency lights and siren in another attempt to stop the vehicle, but the driver refused to stop and continued southbound into Ewing Township. During the incident, Sgt. Sparaco obtained a clear view of the driver and rear seat passenger. After discontinuing the stop, he conducted a query of the vehicle’s registration and was able to identify the registered owner. The owner/driver was also found to have outstanding warrants from other jurisdictions. The driver was charged with Eluding Police by Motor Vehicle and issued several motor vehicle summonses. The traffic violations will be heard in Hopewell Township Municipal Court, and the criminal matter will be heard in Mercer County Superior Court.
DUI charge after driver found asleep in car
On March 15, 2026, Officer Blake Demeter was dispatched to the area of Forrest Blend Dr for a report of an unresponsive male in a running motor vehicle. Upon arrival, Officer Demeter located the vehicle and observed a male sleeping in the driver’s seat and an open beer bottle in the center console. The officer knocked on the vehicle window and awoke the driver, who then opened the driver side door. As the door opened, Officer Demeter detected an odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his person. Field sobriety tests were administered, and he was placed under arrest for suspicion of DUI. He was placed under arrest and transported to HTPD for processing. The driver was charged with Driving Under the Influence, Reckless Driving, Refusal to Submit to a Breath Test, Operating an Unregistered Motor Vehicle, and Possession of an Open Container of Alcohol in a Motor Vehicle. The matter will be heard in Hopewell Township Municipal Court.
Laundry detergent stolen from Stop & Shop
Officer Collin Brigham responded to Stop & Shop for a report of shoplifting on March 16, 2026. Loss prevention reported that an unidentified white female stole large containers of laundry detergent, valued at $196.63 and fled in an unknown direction. The incident remains under investigation.
Fraudulent bank transactions
On March 16, 2026, Officer Marissa McCallum responded to HTPD for a walk-in report of fraud. The victim reported that unknown actor(s) made seven fraudulent transactions on her bank account, totaling approximately $2,238.23. She advised that she reported the incident to Credit Karma and is currently awaiting a refund. The incident remains under investigation.
Items stolen at Capital Health during procedure
Officer Ryan Finnegan responded to Capital Health Hospital – Hopewell Campus for a report of theft on March 17, 2026. The victim reported that his wallet was stolen from his hospital room while he was undergoing a surgical procedure. The victim stated that cash and jewelry were also taken. The total value of the missing items was estimated at $8,128.75. No surveillance cameras were in the immediate area of the hospital room. The incident was reported to hospital staff and remains under investigation.
Car stolen from Denow Rd.
On March 17, 2026, Officer Collin Brigham responded to HTPD for a walk-in report of a motor vehicle theft. The victim reported that he had parked his white Chevrolet Malibu in a residential parking lot on Denow Rd at approximately 11:00 PM and, upon returning at approximately 3:00 AM, discovered it was missing. He stated the keys had been either lost or stolen from the vehicle. The vehicle was entered stolen and later recovered by Trenton Police Department. The incident remains under investigation.
Car broken into at Forge Circle
Officer Ryan Finnegan responded to the area of Forge Circle for a report of a vehicle burglary on March 17, 2026. The victim had parked the vehicle near his residence at approximately 11:30 PM the previous evening. When he returned to his vehicle the next day, he observed that fuel door and glove box were opened and there were documents scattered inside. He stated that he was unsure whether the vehicle had been unlocked at the time of the incident. No items were reported stolen. A canvass was conducted of the surrounding area and no other vehicles appeared to have been entered. The incident remains under investigation.
Drug paraphernalia leads to arrest
On March 17, 2026, Officer Collin Brigham was conducting a follow-up investigation in a parking lot on Denow Rd when he was flagged down by a motorist regarding a verbal dispute with a female passenger in his vehicle. While the officer was speaking with the woman, he observed a glass pipe fall from her person and break as it hit the ground. The pipe was immediately identifiable to the officer as suspected drug paraphernalia. During the interaction it was also revealed that she had an active traffic warrant out of Bordentown. She was placed under arrest and transported to HTPD for processing. She was charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia for the glass pipe. She was then transported to the Mercer County Correctional Center, where she was lodged on the outstanding warrant. The criminal matter will be heard in Hopewell Township Municipal Court.
Toilets stolen from construction site
Officer Robert Voorhees responded to Cora Bergen Blvd for a reported burglary and theft from a construction site on March 19, 2026. The foreman reported observing five toilets at the location on March 18, 2026; upon returning the following morning, all were missing. No signs of forced entry were observed, and no surveillance cameras were located on site. The total value of the stolen items is approximately $1,000. The incident remains under investigation.
Bike stolen from library
On March 19, 2026, Officer Anthony Pizzola responded to HTPD for a walk-in report of a bicycle theft. The victim reported that his daughter left her bicycle unsecured at the Mercer County Library bike rack. When they returned the following day, the bicycle was missing. There are no cameras in the area, and the value of the bicycle was reported to be $250.00. The incident remains under investigation.
DUI on Pleasant Valley Rd
Officer Arthur Juba was dispatched to the intersection of Pleasant Valley Rd and Barry Rd for a report of an active collision alarm from a cell phone on March 21, 2026. Upon arrival, Officer Juba made contact with a male driver. During the interaction the officer detected an odor of alcoholic beverage emanating and signs of intoxication were detected. Field sobriety tests were administered and he was placed under arrest for suspicion of DUI. He was transported to HTPD headquarters and processed. He was charged with Driving Under the Influence, Reckless Driving, and Possession of an Open Container of Alcohol in a Motor Vehicle. The matter will be heard in Hopewell Township Municipal Court.
Energy drinks and Metamucil stolen from Stop & Shop
On March 6, 2026, Officer James Klesney was dispatched to the Stop & Shop for a report of shoplifting. Loss prevention reported that an unidentified male had entered the store on multiple occasions between November 18, 2025 and March 3, 2026 and had stolen several packs of Five Hour Energy and containers of Metamucil. The individual was observed on CCTV purchasing some items, while leaving other merchandise concealed in his bag without being paid for. The total value of the stolen merchandise was $699.72. Following further investigation, Officer Klesney identified the suspect. The suspect voluntarily turned himself in to HTPD, where he was arrested and processed. He was charged with seven counts of shoplifting. The matter will be heard in Municipal Court.
Car broken into while owner away
Officer Michael Enriquez responded to Lansdowne Ct for a report of vehicle burglary on March 23, 2026. The victim reported that she had come home from vacation the previous day, March 22, 2026, and later noticed that her vehicle had been rummaged through. Upon further inspection, she determined that her spare vehicle key and prescription glasses were missing and presumed stolen. The total approximate value of the stolen items is $350.00. The incident remains under investigation.
Rider student reports fraudulent scheme
On March 23, 2026, Officer Collin Brigham responded to police headquarters for a walk-in report of attempted fraud. The victim reported that she is a student at Rider University and received an email appearing to be from one of her professors advertising a potential employment opportunity, which she applied for. The victim subsequently received a fraudulent check, purportedly issued by the University. After depositing the check, she was contacted by an unknown suspect and instructed to forward the funds to a third party. The victim did not send any funds and did not suffer a monetary loss. The incident remains under investigation.
Car stolen from driveway
Officer Michael Crincoli responded to Morris Drive for a report of a theft of a motor vehicle on March 23, 2026. The victim reported a beige BMW X3 was stolen from the driveway of a residence sometime between 10:00 AM on March 21, 2026 and 5:17 AM on March 23, 2026. The vehicle was unlocked, with the keys inside, at the time of the theft. A canvass of the area was conducted. Surveillance footage from a nearby residence captured two unidentified subjects wearing hooded sweatshirts and sweatpants running from another vehicle parked nearby during the early morning hours of March 22, 2026. The incident remains under investigation.
