Crime

A 31-year-old Hempstead Drive man was arrested Aug. 27 in connection with two robberies and a burglary in the township in August. Arismendi Daniel Frias was arrested at his home by township detectives after a search there revealed items reported stolen on Aug. 11 from a Clover Hill Drive home, as well as clothing matching that used in the burglary and two …

The Franklin Township Police Department has not seen a need as of yet to apply to the federal government for surplus military equipment, police chief Lawrence Roberts said Aug. 26. In fact, according to a report published Aug. 24 on NJ.com, no Somerset County town’s police force has surplus military equipment. The issue of U.S. police departments becoming “militarized” has …

A 1-year-old township girl is being treated at the Burn Center at St. Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston, after she burned herself the afternoon of Aug. 23, police said. The girl, a Smithwold Road resent, was running around her house and accidentally knocked over a pot of coffee on herself, township police Sgt. Philip Rizzo said in a press release. The …

A 49-year-old township man was sentenced to 22 years in state prison Aug. 21 for his conviction earlier this year on drug-related charges. Roger Covil of Coventry Lane will have to serve seven years and four months before he is eligible for parole, according to a press release on the sentencing from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office. Covil was convicted in …

There were no injuries the evening of Aug. 16 during a smokey incident at Regency Heritage Nursing Home on DeMott Lane. The incident forced the temporary evacuation of all residents in one wing of the home, according to a release from the township police. Police reported a call was received at about 8:17 p.m. of a smoke condition at the …

Parts of Landing Lane and Easton Avenue were closed for about a half-hour the afternoon of Aug. 13 while a spill of about 2 gallons of bleach was cleaned up. Township police received a call shortly after 1 p.m. that a drum was leaking a liquid at the intersection. Patrol officers found a 5-gallon drum leaking what turned out to …

Township police are investigating several incidents of criminal mischief that occurred in the early morning hours of Aug. 12. Sometime between 3:15-3:45 a.m., windows in four homes on Valley Wood Road in Somerset were broken by rocks, according to a press release. Two of the windows were valued at $1,000, while two other homes had windows valued at about $300 broken, …

Aug. 4 Christina Meleo of Franklin Park was cited for careless driving after her car ran off the road on South Middlebush Drive and struck a street sign and utility pole. Meleo told police that she had bent down to grab a hair clip that fell on the floor of her car when she lost control of her car. § …

Several car break-ins over the weekend have prompted renewed calls by township police for residents to lock their cars. A message sent out by the township on Aug. 11 noted that township and area police departments have seen an up-tick in car burglaries over the past several weeks. “In the majority of these cases the vehicles were left unsecured by …

July 30 Ismael Turcios of Elizabeth was cited for careless driving after his car struck a car driven by Myashia Clark of Somerset on Hamilton Street. Turcios was attempting a left turn from A&J Tire store when the accident occurred. § Jean-Paul Assaff of Marlton told police that he was driving in the right lane of Easton Avenue when a …