South Brunswick police report rash of tire slashes, vandalism

SOUTH BRUNSWICK - Police arrested a 15-year-old at his Kendall Park home early on Sunday in connection with a rash of vandalism reported the previous night.

Authorities began receiving calls from residents of the Fresh Impressions housing development in Monmouth Junction around 10:30 p.m., saying that their tires had been slashed. Over the following three hours, police located 14 cars with more than 30 tires slashed on Cummings, Harper, Heath and Marvin roads. As they investigated the incidents, they also came upon the Monmouth Junction Elementary School on Ridge Road. The school had two smashed windows at the rear of the building. All told, about $3,000 worth of damage was done that night.

A vehicle seen in the area at around the time of the reported crimes provided investigators with a lead. After interviewing several people, police were able to arrest the 15-year-old around 4:30 a.m. Sunday. He was charged with criminal mischief.

Police are continuing to investigate and additional arrests are possible. Investigators believe that the teenager and whoever he may have been with that night had first smashed the school windows and then walked through the neighborhood randomly slashing tires.

The next day saw more tire-related mischief. According to police, the Eastern Bag Corp. on Route 130 reported someone stole 14 tires off vehicles in their lot sometime between 12:15 a.m. on Sunday and 9:29 p.m. Monday. The company had experienced a similar theft last year. No value had been set on the stolen items.

- Chris Gaetano