Crime & Safety

Alleged Robber Picks a Bad Time to Phone Home

Also this week in wacky New Jersey police news, holy stupidity, Batman! A "superhero" causes a stir at a Home Depot.

Each week, Patch combs through the more shocking, surprising and often absurd alleged criminal acts and police-related incidents that unfold throughout New Jersey. Here’s what went on this week for “OMGs from NJ PD.”

Can You Arrest Me Now? Good: In Part 1 of Criminals Making It Easy for Cops, we take you to Hackettstown. Before Matthew Davis, 20, allegedly tried to rob a gas station there, he had a very pressing phone call to make. . You can guess where this is going. Police used reverse dialing to find Davis’ home and arrested him there.

Champagne Wishes and Jail Cell Dreams: Part 2 Criminals Making It Easy for Cops takes us to Lakehurst, where a convenience store employee showed some excellent quick thinking. After realizing Eugene Spear IV, 20, was , the clerk asked him to fill out a claim form, which Spear happily did, even leaving a copy of his license. Police tracked down Spear at his home, where he was hiding in a closet.

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She Fought the Law, Guess Who Won: Good idea—listen when a cop tells you to do something, even something as mundane as using crosswalks. Bad idea—getting in the cop’s face when your friends don’t follow instructions.  when she reportedly told an officer to “arrest me” after arguing with the officer over jaywalking tickets being issued to her friends. The end result shouldn’t be a surprise: her friends were ticketed and Moy, 23, got a ride to the station in the back of a cruiser and an obstruction charge to boot.

‘Superhero’ Makes Super Bad Judgment Call: Mansfield’s Matthew Argintar said he was just trying to bring “hope” to people by offering help at a local Home Depot. What he did instead was scare them. Argintar, 23, , to do his good deeds. Considering his outfit—tactical pants, elbow and arm pads and a bulletproof vest—was reminiscent of accused Aurora, CO, movie theater shooter James Holmes, this superhero’s strength is clearly not common sense.

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Citizen Sleuth: A 19-year-old Green Brook woman is hot on the trail of her missing iPhone. After the woman’s phone was taken, she didn’t just track it on her computer—she started knocking on doors near its location. The gumshoe even questioned possible suspects before admitting defeat and turning the matter over to Green Book Police, who haven’t solved the case yet.   

Not Time to Make the Donuts: It’s unclear what prompted Blackwood’s Kyle Chute, 19, to do at 1:30 in the morning. But, unfortunately for Chute, his license plate was crystal clear on the complex’s surveillance video. Chute was released with criminal mischief and reckless driving charges and, presumably, a life lesson about acting out The Fast and the Furious fantasies on a football field.

Unlucky Overpass Takes a Beating: Wedging your truck underneath an overpass won’t necessarily get you a place in OMGs. But something must be in the water when the same Chatham Borough overpass . So far, the trucks seem to be losing the apparent battle to bring down this overpass.

Madison Police to the Animal Rescue: Madison first responders are developing quite the humane reputation toward our furry friends. Already this summer, they . Now, to the list. Sgt. John Keymer saved the bunny (emphatically not the Rabbit of Caerbannog) from a pool skimmer and sent it happily hopping away.


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