The Princeton Packet

02/27/2025

The Princeton Police Department is accepting applications for its Citizen Police Academy, which will provide attendees with some insight into how law enforcement works.

The eight-week-long Citizen Police Academy begins April 17 and ends June 5. Enrollment is limited to 20 people on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Applicants must be at least 21 years old and live in Princeton. They must also pass a background investigation check.

The Citizen Police Academy, which is free, is held on Thursday evenings from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Princeton Police Department headquarters at 1 Valley Road.

The goal of the Citizen Police Academy is to give attendees the knowledge and understanding of how the Princeton Police Department - and law enforcement in general - operates.

Attendees will learn about the organizational structure of the Princeton Police Department.

The Princeton Police Department is accepting applications for its Citizen Police Academy, which will provide attendees with some insight into how law enforcemen

02/27/2025

Photo by Lea Kahn/Staff

Protesters in front of the Tesla dealership in Lawrence Township on Feb. 22.

Holding aloft signs that said, "Unplug Musk," "Steal data from Mars," and "MUSKrats out of our government," about 200 people gathered in front of the Tesla dealership in Lawrence Township to protest Tesla founder Elon Musk on Feb. 23.

The protesters, who object to the role that Musk plays in the Trump Administration, lined both sides of the entrance road off Route 1 leading into the former Mercer Mall, now known as Mercer on One.

Drivers in minivans, pickup trucks, sedans and sport utility vehicles waved and honked their horns in support - but not the drivers of Tesla sedans that drove past the protesters.

Laura Zurfluh and Gabriela Sadote of Indivisible Cranbury, which organized the event, said the protesters want to let the Trump Administration know that they disagree with allowing an unelected figure - Elon Musk - to have access to sensitive government information.

Photo by Lea Kahn/StaffProtesters in front of the Tesla dealership in Lawrence Township on Feb. 22.Holding aloft signs that said, "Unplug Musk," "Steal da

02/26/2025

A victim reported the theft of a jacket and Apple Airpods from an establishment on Prospect Avenue. The theft was reported Feb. 23.

A woman was scammed out of $4,750 after she deposited the money into a Bitcoin ATM at a Nassau Street convenience store. She was deceived into making the transaction by a suspect who impersonated a Bank of Princeton employee. Bystanders intervened during the course of depositing more money, which allowed the rest of the transaction to be canceled. The incident was reported Feb. 20.

A resident of the Avalon Princeton apartment development on Albert Way reported the theft of a bicycle that was stored in a bike storage unit and secured with a bicycle chain. The theft occurred between October 2024 and Feb. 17, and was reported Feb. 20.

A 39-year-old Princeton woman was charged with driving while intoxicated after she was stopped for speeding on Rosedale Road at 9:20 p.m. Feb. 18.

A victim reported the theft of a jacket and Apple Airpods from an establishment on Prospect Avenue. The theft was reported Feb. 23.A woman was scammed out o

02/25/2025

A 31-year-old Princeton man has been charged with murder and weapons offenses after allegedly killing his younger brother, according to Mercer County Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey.

Matthew Hertgen allegedly killed 26-year-old Joseph Hertgen. He was charged with third- and fourth-degree weapons offenses related to possession of a knife and a golf club in the Feb. 22 incident, the prosecutor's office said.

Matthew Hertgen was also charged with animal cruelty in connection with the death of a cat that was found in the Michelle Mews Apartments near Palmer Square, the prosecutor's office said.

Police responded to the apartment at 11:16 p.m. after receiving a 9-1-1 call reporting a fire and a dead body in the apartment.

Police officers found Matthew Hertgen, who made the call, in the apartment along with the bodies of the victim and the cat.

Joseph Hertgen was pronounced dead at the scene. He had suffered various injuries, including signs of blunt force trauma.

02/24/2025

A 39-year-old Montgomery Township woman accused of bank robbery made her initial appearance in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey in Trenton on Feb. 11, said Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna.

Ciara Brascom, who lives in the Skillman section of Montgomery Township, was charged with one count of bank robbery for allegedly robbing the TD Bank on State Road in Princeton on July 28, according to documents on file and statements made in court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni.

The charge of bank robbery carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a fine of $250,000.

Brascom, who was allegedly armed with a handgun, entered the bank and demanded cash from a bank teller. She allegedly threatened to use the gun if the teller activated the bank's alarm system.

The teller handed over approxiimately $60,500 in cash. Brascom took the cash and fled.

She was arrested in Montgomery Township on Sept. 24, following an investigation into the bank robbery.

A 39-year-old Montgomery Township woman accused of bank robbery made her initial appearance in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey in Trenton on

02/24/2025

A 24-year-old Princeton man has been charged with one count each of distribution of child sexual abuse material and possession of child sexual abuse material, according to Mercer County Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey.

Oliver Diaz Pulex, who was arrested Feb. 21, allegedly distributed an item showing or portraying a child in a sexually explicit manner, the prosecutor's office said. He allegedly used the internet to do so.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children notified the Prosecutor's Office's Internet Crimes Against Children Unit that a Mercer County resident had uploaded a file of suspected child sexual abuse material to the internet.

An investigation was launched and Pulex was identified as a suspect. He was arrested and charged after law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at his home on Witherspoon Street. Several items of evidentiary valued were seized by detectives.

A 24-year-old Princeton man has been charged with one count each of distribution of child sexual abuse material and possession of child sexual abuse material, a

02/23/2025

Police are investigating two back-to-back incidents of bias intimidation and criminal mischief on Rosedale Road and Christopher Drive that were reported Feb. 5.

Police responded to Rosedale Road at 1:36 p.m. to investigate a criminal mischief incident involving bias intimidation. Officers found graffiti on two traffic signs that were written with a red marker.

One of them said "Free Palestine" with a red triangle and the other one said "Zionism kills kids," police said.

Police were called to Christopher Drive at 4:37 p.m. and found graffiti on a street sign that said "F...k Israel." It was written in red paint on the lower portion of the sign.

The cost of removal is unknown.

Police are investigating two back-to-back incidents of bias intimidation and criminal mischief on Rosedale Road and Christopher Drive that were reported Feb. 5.

02/22/2025

Attention to heart health is the goal of the annual American Heart Awareness Month in February, with its focus on raising awareness and promoting healthy lifestyles.

One in five deaths each year is the result of heart disease, according to "2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics: A Report of U.S. and Global Data from the American Heart Association," an article published in Circulation, the association's scientific journal. The problem is anticipated to worsen in the next 25 years.

Heart disease, noted Dr. Brett A. Sealove, chief of cardiology at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, is the number one killer in the western world.

"American Heart Awareness Month is a time to promote prevention, screening and awareness to empower patients," he said.

Attention to heart health is the goal of the annual American Heart Awareness Month in February, with its focus on raising awareness and promoting healthy lifest

02/22/2025

A 76-year-old Skillman man is facing weapons charges after he was allegedly found to be openly carrying a firearm in a store on Nassau Street on Feb. 10, according to the Princeton Police Department.

Officers found a man in the area who matched the description provided by witnesses. An investigation revealed that he allegedly had an unregistered firearm, hollow point bullets and pepper spray in his possession.

The man was charged with unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of hollow point ammunition and unlawful possession of a weapon.

He was processed and released.

A 76-year-old Skillman man is facing weapons charges after he was allegedly found to be openly carrying a firearm in a store on Nassau Street on Feb. 10, accord

02/22/2025

A 64-year-old Skillman man was killed when his 2017 Subaru struck the rear of a 2019 International delivery truck on Route 206 in front of the Nassau Tennis Club on Feb. 19, according to the Montgomery Township Police Department.

The Subaru and the delivery truck, which was driven by a 44-year-old Burlington man, were both traveling north when the crash occurred around 10 a.m., police said.

The Subaru driver was trapped inside the vehicle and had to be extricated by first responders, police said. He was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, where he later died.

The truck driver was taken to Robert Wood Johnson Hospital - Somerset for treatment of non-life threatening injuries, police said.

The crash, which closed Route 206 for about three hours, is under investigation by the Montgomery Township Police Department and the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Collision Analysis Reconstruction Team. No summonses have been issued.

A 64-year-old Skillman man was killed when his 2017 Subaru struck the rear of a 2019 International delivery truck on Route 206 in front of the Nassau Tennis Clu

02/21/2025

The West Windsor Police Department is investigating burglaries and attempted burglaries that occurred in The Estates at Princeton Junction Development on Jan. 24.

Two suspects entered a victim's garage in a burglary that was reported at 7:06 p.m. One of the suspects entered the house, but fled upon discovering that the homeowner was present. A K-9 dog was brought in to track the suspects, but without success.

Gold coins and jewelry were reported stolen from another home in the development in a burglary that was reported at 8:26 p.m. The victim discovered the back door was open and called police, who searched the house. Officers noticed matching footprints from other burglary locations.

An attempted burglary was reported at 9:04 p.m. The burglars attempted to enter the house through the rear door, but fled without gaining entry. Footprints from related burglaries were found at the scene.

And at 10:18 p.m., police were called to investigate an attempted burglary.

The West Windsor Police Department is investigating burglaries and attempted burglaries that occurred in The Estates at Princeton Junction Development on Jan. 2

02/21/2025

The rear tires on two vehicles were damaged while they were parked on South Stanworth Drive in an incident of criminal mischief that was reported Feb. 14.

A burglar entered an unlocked vehicle belonging to a Wittmer Court resident while it was parked at the victim's home on Feb. 14. The burglar rummaged through the center console and glove box. The burglar also went to the back of the house and tried unsuccessfully to open a locked door, and then looked into a window before fleeing. Nothing was reported missing and the house was not entered.

A Herrontown Road resident reported that two suspects tried unsuccessfully to break into the victim's vehicles on Feb. 14. They also broke a window to get inside the garage. They rummaged through areas of the garage, but nothing was reported missing.

The rear tires on two vehicles were damaged while they were parked on South Stanworth Drive in an incident of criminal mischief that was reported Feb. 14.A

02/20/2025

There were no rails but plenty of stops on the Underground Railroad.

Historian Rick Geffken will talk about the Underground Railroad and the role it played in helping runaway slaves find their way to freedom at the Lawrence Historical Society's annual meeting Feb. 23.

The event is free and starts at 6 p.m. It will be held at Lawrence High School at 2525 Princeton Pike in Lawrence Township.

Geffken will outline the history of slavery in New Jersey, the Quakers who pushed for manumission of slaves, and the people involved in the Underground Railroad. He is the guest speaker at the Lawrence Historical Society's annual Ruth Barringer Lecture Series.

The Underground Railroad was not really a railroad. It was a network of secret routes and safe houses that aided the runaway slaves on their way to freedom. It traces its origin to abolitionists, starting in the 1780s, who were opposed to slavery.

There were no rails but plenty of stops on the Underground Railroad.Historian Rick Geffken will talk about the Underground Railroad and the role it played i

02/20/2025

The Princeton Council has awarded a contract to a planning consultant to study how the former Westminster Choir College campus could best be used to meet the needs of the town.

Topology LLC was awarded a contract for $115,000 at the Princeton Council's Feb. 10 meeting. The consultant is based in Newark.

Last fall, the Princeton Council approved a pair of ordinances to acquire the former campus of the Westminster Choir College from Rider University. It has been mostly vacant since Rider moved the choir college to its Lawrence Township campus in 2020.

The town's acquisition of the campus presents a potentially unprecedented opportunity to create community benefits, achieve local planning objectives and leave a legacy that will benefit future generations of Princetonians, according to the proposal prepared by Topology LLC.

The Princeton Council has awarded a contract to a planning consultant to study how the former Westminster Choir College campus could best be used to meet the ne

02/19/2025

Six new police officers have joined the Princeton Police Department.

The six new officers, who were chosen from among a field of 150 applicants, were sworn in as probationary police officers at the Princeton Council's Feb. 10 meeting.

The newly appointed police officers - Benedict Arthur, Drew Clugston, Shane Freda (no relation to Mayor Mark Freda), Daniel Mostrangeli, Anthony Rodriguez and Vanessa Saburro - began their training at the Mercer County Police Academy on Feb. 18.

Once they complete basic police training, they will be assigned to a field training officer. They should be qualified for full patrol duties in October, officials said.

Arthur graduated from Sayreville War Memorial High School and earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Utica University. He is enrolled in the graduate program at John Jay College, where he is studying international crime and justice.

Six new police officers have joined the Princeton Police Department. The six new officers, who were chosen from among a field of 150 applicants, were sworn i

02/17/2025

HIRING COMPANIES WANTED: Join Packet Media at our next Job Fair Friday, February 28, 2025 at Quaker Bridge Mall from 10-2. For more information on how to get involved, email us at [email protected] before February 21st.

If you are interested in attending this event as a job seeker, pre-register at CJjob25.eventbrite.com

02/16/2025

A 39-year-old Princeton man has been charged with weapons offenses following a verbal altercation at a business on North Harrison Street on Feb. 10, according to the Princeton Police Department.

Police were called at 9:32 a.m. to investigate a verbal altercation at the business after the caller stated that a man had threatened another person at the business. The man also made reference to having a firearm in his vehicle, police said.

Police responded and located a man who matched the caller's description of the suspect.

During the investigation, police searched the man's vehicle and found a silver and black Springfield XD .45-caliber handgun. They also found two magazines loaded with hollow-point bullets.

The man was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, possession of hollow-point ammunition and making terroristic threats.

He was processed and taken to the Mercer County Correctional Center.

A 39-year-old Princeton man has been charged with weapons offenses following a verbal altercation at a business on North Harrison Street on Feb. 10, according t