Crime News

A 17-year-old township youth suffered serious injuries after he was struck by a car while riding a bicycle on Bennington Parkway. Police said that the youth was riding near Central Avenue before 2:30 p.m. when he was hit by a 2018 Nissan Rogue driven by Dipen Patel, 33, of North Brunswick. Police said the youth suffered serious head injuries. The …

An unoccupied house on South Middlebush Road was destroyed in an early morning fire on Sept. 6. There were no injuries reported in the fire, according to a press release from the Franklin Township Police Department. Police responded to the structure fire shortly before 5 a.m., according to the release. Firefighters from Middlebush Fire Department, Elizabeth Avenue Fire Department, Little …

A New York woman faces a prostitution charge after she was busted in an Easton Avenue massage parlor propositioning an undercover detective. A two-month investigation by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Organized Crime and Narcotics Task Force and the Franklin Township Police Department resulted in the Aug. 15 arrest of Xu Huiqin, 47, of Flushing, N.Y., at the New Image …

Township police are looking for witnesses to an Aug. 22 accident at Easton Avenue and John F. Kennedy Boulevard that left a 19-year-old township woman with serious injuries. Police said that at around noon, Jada Montrese Vennie was crossing Easton Avenue on foot when she was struck by a 2017 Hyundai Sonata driven by Christian James, 20, of Somerset. Part …

A 43-year-old township man was charged Aug. 15 with receiving stolen property after he was allegedly seen with a stolen commercial trailer generator valued at more than $140,000. Aaron Taylor-Fajardo of Hunt Road was charged with 3rd Degree Receiving Stolen Property after he was spotted by police with the generator in the Somerset Village parking lot on Easton Avenue. Somerset …

A 45-year-old township man faces robbery and other charges after he allegedly stole cash from a gas station booth at the WaWa market on Somerset Street. Dupre J. McCalla of Franklin Park was arrested Aug. 4 a short time after he allegedly brandished a knife to a gas station employee in his attempt to steal the money, according to a …

The township man who was among six charged with running a retail theft ring out of a Hamilton Street business was on probation from a previous conviction when the latest alleged illegal activity was taking place. David Rubin, 59, owner of Everything Wireless, 665 Hamilton St., was still serving a 24-month probationary sentence when the investigation into the theft ring …

A 26-year-old Franklin man has been charged with murdering another township man in New Brunswick and then dumping his body near Pine Grove Manor School. The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office announced the July 5 arrest of Abubakaar “Diddy” King in a press release on July 6. King is charged with killing Darren Fordham Jr,, 26, whose body was found on …

Update: Authorities have identified the dead man as 26-year-old Darren Fordham, Jr. Police said Fordham suffered multiple gunshot wounds, but would not disclose the location of those wounds “to maintain the integrity of the investigation,” according to a press release from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office. The shooting was not random, the release said, although police still do not have …

A 22-year-old township man has been arrested on attempted murder and weapons charges in connection with a June 23 shooting on Reler Avenue. Police said Christopher Williams was in a parked car near buildings 26 and 28 on Reler, which is in the Somerset Mews development off Route 27, when he was approached by a 23-year-old South Brunswick man. An …