The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
05/24/2026
A Somerset resident was the victim of a theft on 05/23/26 in the area of Hamilton St. The unknown suspect(s) stole the victim’s bike, which was left unattended outside of a business. The bike was valued at $150.
05/26/2026
A business located in the area of Rt. 27 was the victim of a shoplifting during the morning hours. An unknown female exited the store without paying for merchandise valued at $38. The suspect fled the area on foot. Patrol canvassed the area for the suspect with negative results.
A business located in the area of Hamilton St. was the victim of a shoplifting during the afternoon hours. An unknown male exited the store without paying for merchandise valued at $54. The suspect entered the rear of a Chevy sedan. The driver attempted to drive away and made contact with an employee who was standing in front of the vehicle. The employee was uninjured. The incident is being investigated as a strong-armed robbery.
05/27/2026
An FTPD patrol officer attempted a traffic stop in the area of Rt. 27 for speeding. The driver eluded the traffic stop. A follow-up investigation revealed that a juvenile male from an outside jurisdiction took his parents vehicle without their permission. The juvenile male was issued several traffic summonses. Criminal charges are pending.
A 57-year-old West Orange man was arrested for an outstanding warrant out of our jurisdiction. He was processed and transported to the Somerset County Jail.
A Somerset resident was the victim of theft by deception on 05/19/26. The victim received a call from an unknown suspect who claimed the victim had an outstanding bill at a local hospital. The victim provided her bank account information to pay half the bill. The victim realized she was scammed after she contacted the hospital and they advised she did not have an outstanding balance. Then victim suffered a loss of $500.
A 32-year-old New Brunswick man was arrested for an outstanding warrant out of our jurisdiction. He was processed and transported to the Somerset County Jail.
05/28/2026
A Somerset resident was the victim of trespassing between 03/24/26 and 05/28/26 in the area of Somerset St. The victim discovered property and documentation in her storage unit that did not belong to her. There were no signs of forced entry. The suspect(s) is unknown.
A 39-year-old Somerset man was arrested for an outstanding warrant out of our jurisdiction. He was processed and transported to the Somerset County Jail.
A business located in the area of Hamilton St. was the victim of a shoplifting during the afternoon hours. An unknown male exited the store without paying for merchandise valued at $186. The suspect fled the area in a Chrysler minivan.
A Somerset resident was the victim of criminal mischief in the area of Amethyst Way during the afternoon hours. The unknown suspect(s) damaged the victim’s windshield with an unknown object. The windshield was valued at $500.
A business located in the area of Rt. 27 was the victim of forgery and theft on 05/27/26. An unknown male paid for merchandise with a counterfeit $100 bill. The suspect received $87 in change and fled the area in an unknown vehicle.
A Hillsborough resident was the victim of a burglary, criminal mischief, and theft in the area of Easton Ave. during the evening hours. The unknown suspect(s) broke a window to the victim’s vehicle to gain entry. Once inside the suspect(s) stole the steering wheel air bag which was valued at $1,500. The damage to the window was valued at $600.
05/29/2026
A 38-year-old East Orange man was arrested for an outstanding warrant out of Newark during a motor vehicle crash investigation. He was processed and released on his own recognizance.
A Somerset resident was the victim of a burglary, criminal mischief, and theft in the area of Easton Ave. during the overnight hours. The unknown suspect(s) broke a window to the victim’s vehicle to gain entry. Once inside the suspect(s) stole the steering wheel air bag valued at $1,500. A front sensor valued at $1,600 was also stolen. The damaged window was valued at $200.
A 28-year-old Somerset woman was arrested for an outstanding warrant out of our jurisdiction during a motor vehicle stop. She was processed and released on her own recognizance.
A New Brunswick resident was the victim of criminal mischief in the area of Wiley Dr. during the daytime hours. The unknown suspect(s) keyed the victim’s vehicle causing damage valued at $800.
A business located in the area of Rt. 27 was the victim of a shoplifting during the afternoon hours. An unknown male exited the store without paying for merchandise valued at $78. Patrol canvassed the area for the suspect with negative results.
A North Brunswick resident was the victim of theft by deception on 05/28/26. The victim received a call from an alleged bank representative who advised of fraudulent activity on her account. The unknown suspect advised the victim to transfer $26,000 into an account number that he provided. The victim obliged. The victim received a second phone call encouraging her to transfer more money into the provided account. The victim grew suspicious and confirmed with her banking institution that she was the victim of a scam.
05/30/2026
A Somerset resident was the victim of a theft between 05/29/26 and 05/30/26. The unknown suspect(s) gained access to the victim’s bank account by unknown means and made three unauthorized transactions. The victim suffered a loss of $20,000.
A Somerset resident was the victim of porch piracy on 05/29/26 in the area of Hawthorne Dr. The unknown suspect(s) stole the victim’s delivered package. The contents were valued at $200.
A business located in the area of Somerset St. was the victim of a shoplifting during the afternoon hours. An unknown male exited the store without paying for merchandise valued at $128. Patrol canvassed the area for the suspect with negative results.
A 23-year-old Somerset resident was arrested for theft during an investigation in the area of Hamilton St. The suspect was found in possession of a stolen package. The package was returned to the victim. The suspect was processed and released on a summons.
A 27-year-old Jersey City resident was arrested for an outstanding warrant out of our jurisdiction. The resident was processed and transported to the Somerset County Jail.
