Crime News

UPDATE: FTPD Lt. Vincent Wilson said on January 20 that no one was reported missing, and that the search has concluded. A man’s reported cries for help – thought to emanate from a spot along the Delaware & Raritan Canal near Colonial Park – spurred an hours-long but fruitless search by police on January 19. The 9-1-1 call was placed …

Franklin Township Police remind the public to report any suspicious activity to authorities. The reminder comes in the wake of a number of suspicious incidents in various part of the township. Keeping all exterior lights on at night, reporting street light outages and notifying neighbors or police if you will be away from home for a while are all recommended, …

With home burglaries becoming a statewide issue, the Franklin Township Police Department has issued a series of tips to help township residents stay safe. To help minimize the risk of burglary, the FTPD suggests the following measures: Create the illusion that someone is home by using timers on lights and/or leaving the TV on. Don’t let your tree be a …

Two township residents reported earlier this month that they were victims of fraud totaling of $43,000. In the first report, made December 7, a resident told police that four different people gained access to his bank account and removed $13,000 from it through wire transfers. The resident said he believed the suspects were able to take over his computer. In …

A 21-year-old township man has been sentenced to 12 years in state prison for a 2022 crash that left one person dead and injured others. Samuel Villar was sentenced on December 3 in state Superior Court in New Brunswick, according to a press release from the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office. Villar pleaded guilty on June 14 to 1st Degree Aggravated …

CRIME SCENE – Police say someone shot at this car on Matilda Avenue on October 24, causing the driver to crash into a local business. Police are investigating an October 24 shooting that led to a car crashing into a Matilda Avenue business. The driver of the car, a BMW 328I, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to an area …

FALSE ALARM – The Municipal Complex was shut down for about an hour after a suspicious package was found on a bench at the Public Safety Building. (File photo). UPDATE: Police have released a few more details about the incident. Police said that at about 4 p.m. on October 19, a man walked into police headquarters looking for help in …

A 25-year-old New Brunswick man faces attempted murder and other charges after he shot a township resident’s car while allegedly trying to shoot another person. The incident, which happened on September 13, began when the township resident was driving his car on Easton Avenue near Girard Avenue when, he told police, he heard a loud noise. The resident assumed they’d …

Two township residents were scammed out of a total of $39,000 in separate incidents in late September, police said. In the first incident, which was reported on September 24, a township resident told police that they were duped out of $9,000. A person calling himself “Marty Jackson” convinced the victim to give him $9,000 in gift cards under the guise …

A 53-year-old South Bound Brook man faces multiple charges connected with a rash of burglaries and thefts in August and September, including some in Franklin Township. The man was charged with numerous car burglaries, thefts and credit card fraud, according to a press release from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office. Numerous reported car burglaries which occurred during the early morning …