Police Blotter: Woman Discovers Stranger at Home

Police filed the following reports over the last week.

April 12

• A Wynbrook West Apartments resident told police someone tampered with the valves of two of his tires between 10 p.m. April 11 and 12:30 p.m. April 12, causing about $150 in damage.

• Diane Brooks, 61, of Monroe, was charged with shoplifting.

Police said they responded to the Walmart on Route 130 for a report of a shoplifter in custody. Store personnel told police they saw her hide $76.67 in merchandise and try to leave without paying.

April 10

• Jefferson Vivar, 20, of Denison Drive was charged with trespassing and disorderly conduct.

Police said they responded to a Covington Drive residence at 7:13 a.m. after the resident reported finding a man she did not know inside her residence. Police said they found the man, Vivar, asleep on the floor inside, and that he could not explain why he was there other than that he had been drinking and could not recall what happened the night before.

April 7

• A resident of The Ochard apartments told police someone scratched two of his vehicles, a 2004 BMW and  2006 Mercedes, with a sharp object between 6 p.m. and 7:10 p.m.  The damage was estimated at $800.

• A Dennison Drive resident man reported the theft of a cell phone and charger from his vehicle.

Police said the man reported that he left his vehicle unlocked and parked near his residence and that someone entered it between 6 p.m. April 6 and 1:15 a.m. April 7 and took a $250 phone and a $25 charger.

• A Bolton Road man told police someone took an iPod from his vehicle.

Police said the man left his vehicle unlocked and parked near his residence and that someone took a $200 iPod from it between 6 p.m. April 6 and 7:27 a.m. April 11.

April 8

• Police are investigating a series of criminal mischief reports from Dec. 1, 2010 through April 7, 2011.

Police said they responded to the 300 block of Morrison Avenue at 9:51 a.m. to receive previously unfiled reports of people throwing fruit and eggs. Police said the resident said they called police that day because someone threw fruit and eggs at the residence, cracking the vinyl siding. Anyone with information is asked to call Hightstown Police at 609-448-1234.

April 7

• Terri Shulman, a 22, of Matawan, was charged with contempt of court.

Police said they took her into custody at 2:35 p.m. after state police arrested her on a $633 Hightstown Municipal Court warrant. She was later released on bail.

• Kaitlyn Baugher, a 23, of Lawrenceville, was charged with driving while intoxicated, DWI in a school zone, reckless driving, failure to stop or yield at a stop sign, and failure to inspect. 

Police said they stopped her at 2:54 a.m. on East Ward Street after seeing her run a stop sign at the intersection of South Main and East Ward streets. Police said she smelled of alcohol, was arrested after field sobriety tests, and in tests showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.10 percent.

April 5

• Police are investigating a report of someone trying to enter a Dennis Court residence.

The residents told police they were awoke in the morning around 8:30 a.m. and noticed the molding near the front door was separated from the wall, with several nails sticking out of it. An inspection of the front door revealed a scuff mark consistent with someone trying to kick in the door, though no other signs of forced entry were observed, according to police. Anyone with information is asked to call Hightstown Police at 609-448-1234.

This article was updated Monday at 3:15 p.m. to include the charges against Diane Brooks.