Thousands Lost After Fraudulent Text Message
On August 15, 2026, Officer Toney Rushing responded to Hopewell Township police headquarters for a walk-in fraud report. The victim reported receiving a text message from an unknown party claiming to be her supervisor at work. The individual then requested that the victim purchase multiple gift cards, Apple AirPods, notebooks, and pens, which she did. Once the victim completed the requested purchases and provided the unknown party with the codes to access the funds on the gift cards, the person quickly withdrew the money and stopped messaging her. It was later determined that the individual was impersonating her supervisor. The total cost of the items was $2,686.00. The incident remains under investigation.
DUI in Hopewell Borough
Officer Mandy Grey was dispatched to the area of E. Broad St in Hopewell Borough for a complaint of a driver suspected of being under the influence on August 16, 2026. The third-party caller advised HTPD Communications that they had observed a black Kia Forte strike a curb and continue driving, failing to maintain its lane of travel. Shortly after, additional calls were received for the same vehicle, which was reported to be traveling southbound on N. Rt 31. After locating the vehicle, Officer Grey observed it cross over the center line and into the northbound lane and initiated a motor vehicle stop. Upon making contact with the driver she observed signs of intoxication and detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his person. Field sobriety tests were administered, and it was determined that he was impaired. He was placed under arrest for suspicion of DUI and transported to HTPD for processing and breath testing. Prior to his release, he was charged with Driving Under the Influence, Reckless Driving, Failure to Maintain Lane, and Failure to Exhibit a Medical Authorization Card for Window Tint. The matter will be heard in Hopewell Township Municipal Court.
Overweight Truck Leads to Outstanding Warrant Arrest
On August 18, 2026, Officer Jack Lane was conducting a traffic enforcement detail in the area of Rt. 579, when he observed a white commercial box truck, which appeared to be over the posted weight limit for the roadway. After observing the violation, Officer Lane initiated a motor vehicle stop and made contact with the driver of the vehicle. Officer Lane then conducted a check of the driver’s license, which revealed an active warrant out of Absecon. He was arrested on the outstanding warrant and transported to HTPD for processing. He was given a new court date for Absecon Municipal Court and released on his own recognizance. Before his release, the driver was issued a summons for the truck route violation. The matter will be heard in Hopewell Township Municipal Court.
DUI Near Harbourton Cemetery
On August 21, 2026, Officer Brandon Kuzma was dispatched to the area of Rt 579 for the report of an aggressive driver. The third-party caller advised HTPD Communications that they observed a black sedan failing to maintain its lane of travel and driving northbound in the southbound lane. Officer Kuzma located the vehicle parked near the entrance to Harbourton Cemetery. Upon making contact with the driver, he observed signs of intoxication. Field sobriety tests were administered, and it was determined that the driver was impaired and she was placed under arrest for suspicion of DUI. Searches of her person and vehicle were conducted incident to arrest, which resulted in the location of suspected CDS and paraphernalia. She was transported to HTPD for processing and breath testing. Prior to her release, she was charged with Possession of CDS, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Driving Under the Influence, Reckless Driving, and Possession of CDS in a Motor Vehicle. The matter will be heard in Hopewell Township Municipal Court.
DUI on Route 29
Officer Tylor Blake was on routine patrol in the area of Rt 29 and Church Rd on August 22, 2026, when he observed a white Subaru drifting diagonally within its lane of travel and making several abrupt steering corrections in order to stay within the marked lane. Officer Blake then initiated a motor vehicle stop. Upon making contact with the driver, he observed signs of intoxication and detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his person. Field sobriety tests were administered, and it was determined that he was impaired. He was placed under arrest for suspicion of DUI and transported to HTPD for processing and breath testing. Prior to his release, he was charged with Driving Under the Influence, Reckless Driving, and Failure to Maintain Lane. The matter will be heard in Hopewell Township Municipal Court.
Multiple Vehicles Broken into at Brandon Farms
On August 22, 2026, Officer Milo De Los Santos and Officer Kuzma responded to Brandon Farms for a report of multiple vehicle burglaries. A total of seven vehicles were found to have been entered sometime overnight. All entered vehicles were reported to have been unlocked, and there were no signs of forced entry. Most of the victims reported that although their vehicles had been rummaged through, nothing had been stolen. One victim reported a loss of approximately $10.00 from their center console. Officers canvassed the area and located surveillance footage of the two suspects, who appear to be two males wearing black hooded sweatshirts. The males were observed exiting a silver sedan before rummaging through vehicles at a residence on Donovan Rd. The incident remains under investigation.
Attempted Vehicle Break-ins along Heritage Court
Officer Nicholas Wright and Officer Alvaro responded to Heritage Ct for a report of an attempted motor vehicle burglary on August 22, 2026. The victim reported that her driver-side door handle had been damaged overnight, between approximately 11:00 PM and 7:00 AM. Officers observed pry marks in and around the lock, and a piece of plastic from the handle was found on the ground near the vehicle. The victim stated that it did not appear as though the vehicle had been entered, and she did not report anything stolen. The officers canvassed the surrounding area and found three additional vehicles with similar damage. These vehicles also did not appear to have been successfully entered, and nothing was reported stolen. The incident remains under investigation.
Car Stolen from Birchwood Apartments
On August 22, 2026, Officer Brandon Kuzma responded to the Birchwood Apartments on Denow Rd for a report of a motor vehicle theft. The victim reported that her silver 2020 Hyundai Elantra had been stolen from a parking space directly in front of the building. She stated she last drove the vehicle about a month before the theft. Debris consistent with components of the vehicle’s steering column was found in the area where the victim stated it had last been parked. Officers found a detached vehicle ignition near the roadway at the intersection of Van Brunt Rd and Stephenson Rd earlier that morning while investigating several motor vehicle burglaries. Officer Kuzma confirmed that the ignition belonged to the stolen Hyundai using a spare key provided by the victim. Surveillance footage obtained during the burglary investigation also showed two male suspects operating a silver sedan. The vehicle has been entered as stolen, and the incident remains under investigation.
Traffic Stop Leads to Arrest on Multiple Outstanding Warrants
Sgt. Adam Liotta observed a silver SUV traveling northbound on Scotch Rd at a speed exceeding the posted 45 MPH limit on August 22, 2026. He then observed the vehicle turn into the Capital Health Hospital parking lot and initiated a motor vehicle stop. Upon making contact with the driver he advised Sgt. Liotta that he did not have his driver’s license. Sgt. Liotta then checked his pedigree information to determine whether he had a valid license. The check revealed active warrants out of Hamilton Township, Lawrence Township, Bordentown Township, and Ewing Township. He was arrested on the outstanding warrants, and a search revealed suspected CDS and drug paraphernalia on his person. After being taken into custody, he was transported back to HTPD for processing. He was charged with Possession of CDS and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and issued traffic summonses for Speeding and Operating a Motor Vehicle Without a Valid License. He was subsequently lodged at the Mercer County Correctional Center on the criminal charges. The criminal matter will be heard in Mercer County Superior Court, while the traffic matter will be heard in Hopewell Township Municipal Court.
Thousands Stolen After Impersonating Stop & Shop Executive
On August 23, 2026, Officer Brandon Kuzma responded to Stop & Shop regarding a report of theft. Asset Protection reported that during the overnight hours, an unknown individual contacted a store employee while impersonating the company’s Chief Operational Advisor and provided instructions under the guise of an OSHA and Fire Department walkthrough. The individual then claimed a FedEx delivery would arrive that night and required payment, and directed the employee to communicate with another individual via WhatsApp, who was identified as the store manager. The purported manager instructed the employee to remove funds from the self-checkout registers, deposit money into a Bitcoin ATM, and purchase Xbox gift cards. The total loss to the store was $4,789.86. The employee also sent $2,000 of personal funds. The incident remains under investigation.
Shoplifting in Progress at Stop & Shop Leads to Arrest
On August 25, 2026, Officer Toney Rushing, along with other HTPD units, responded to Stop & Shop for a report of shoplifting in progress. Communications provided responding officers with a description of the suspect vehicle, a gray sedan bearing New Jersey registration. Officer Rushing located a vehicle matching the description in a nearby parking lot, occupied by two females. As he approached the vehicle, he observed a large amount of unbagged merchandise inside including various groceries, health and beauty products. Both females exited the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot. Officer Rushing apprehended one female and transported her to HTPD for processing. The second female fled the scene and was not apprehended. Officers recovered the stolen merchandise, valued at $1,544.27, from the vehicle and returned it to the store. During processing, the suspect provided false pedigree information but was later positively identified. A records check revealed multiple outstanding warrants for her arrest out of Middlesex County, Lawrence Township, Ewing Township, Cherry Hill, and the City of Trenton. She was charged with Shoplifting, Hindering Apprehension, and Resisting Arrest and was subsequently transported to Mercer County Correctional Center, where she was lodged on the outstanding warrants. The matter will be heard in Mercer County Superior Court. The incident remains under investigation.
Cars Broken into on Stoutsburg Blvd
On August 26, 2026, Officer Brandon Kuzma responded to Stoutsburg Boulevard for a report of two vehicles that had been entered sometime overnight. There were no signs of forced entry to either vehicle. The victims reported that an Android cellular phone and a JBL speaker had been stolen, with the total value of the property estimated at approximately $300.00. The vehicles are believed to have been entered between 12:00 AM and 3:30 AM. Officers canvassed the surrounding area and did not locate any additional vehicles that appeared to have been entered. The incident remains under investigation.
