On Wednesday, June 17, at approximately 4:20 a.m., South Brunswick Police responded to a burglary in progress on Terrier Place in the Beekman Manor development.
The 911 caller reported that a male was breaking into his home but fled when the homeowner confronted him at the front door. Officers determined that, prior to being confronted by the homeowner, the suspect forced entry through a rear door and stole a set of car keys from the kitchen. While fleeing the scene on foot, the suspect dropped the keys on the front lawn. As a result, nothing was ultimately stolen during the incident.
The victim provided surveillance footage showing a male approaching the rear of the home wearing dark-colored pants, a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt, dark gloves, and carrying a pry tool.
A canvass of the neighborhood was conducted, and a nearby resident also provided surveillance footage showing a dark-colored vehicle dropping off the suspect shortly before the burglary. No additional descriptors of the vehicle could be identified.
A search of the area failed to locate the suspect or the getaway vehicle. However, a few minutes after the incident, a neighboring agency reported a residential burglary involving a dark-colored vehicle.
This incident is believed to be related to similar residential burglary attempts reported in neighboring jurisdictions during the same timeframe. The Edison Police Department reported that two male suspects attempted a residential burglary at approximately 3:30 a.m. and fled in a red Hyundai Elantra. Additionally, the North Brunswick Police Department pursued a stolen black Hyundai Sonata into Newark at approximately 4:45 a.m. The vehicle was later confirmed to have been stolen from Newark.
Police are urging residents to report any suspicious individuals or vehicles. Community members will see an increased police presence throughout the area, and the investigation has been assigned to the department's Detective Bureau. Anyone with information or surveillance footage related to this incident is asked to contact Det. Brian Luck at 732-329-4000 ext. 7475.
