Full Notification

PRESS RELEASE MAY 7, 2013
TWO ARRESTED FOR STRONG-ARM ROBBERY IN LAMBERTVILLE

Hunterdon County Prosecutor Anthony Kearns III and Lambertville Police Director Bruce Cocuzza reported that a quick and well-coordinated response by several law enforcement agencies led to the swift arrests of two individuals allegedly involved in a strong- arm robbery that occurred early today on Bridge Street, in Lambertville.
Lambertville Police Sergeant First Class Michael O’Rourke and Police Officer Sharon Polyak were dispatched to 55 Bridge Street on a call of an attempted purse snatch shortly before 9:00 A.M., Tuesday May 7th. The victim, a 48 year-old woman from Princeton, reported that minutes earlier a white male wearing a hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses attempted to forcibly take her handbag. The woman resisted, at which time a male passerby came to her aid and attempted to grab the suspect, who then fled into a gold minivan driven by a female accomplice. Additional witnesses provided police with a vehicle description and license plate number.
The suspects’ and vehicle descriptions were immediately broadcast to surrounding police agencies and the vehicle was subsequently stopped about 30 minutes later in the area of Route 29 and Fiddlers Creek Road, by officers from the Hopewell Township Police Department. Anthony McMellon, 36, and Dawn Bowker, 34, both from Flemington NJ, were then taken into custody by Hunterdon County and Lambertville Police investigators.
An 18 month-old child of the suspects was found inside the vehicle, improperly restrained but unharmed. McMellon was found to be in possession of a knife and Bowker had drug paraphernalia on her person.
The suspects were arrested and charged with Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Criminal Possession of a Weapon, Child Endangerment, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. The suspects are currently being processed at the Lambertville Police Headquarters, awaiting judicial review of bail.
Police Director Cocuzza stated that “these arrests might not have been made so quickly if not for the outstanding coordination between officers from the Lambertville, Hopewell Township and West Amwell Township police departments, the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office and Hunterdon County Sheriff’s Department. These officers all did an outstanding job”.
Lambertville Mayor David M. DelVecchio commended all of the police officers involved for a “job well done” and added that “the witnesses who came forward to help investigators also deserve high praise”.
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