By Barbara A. Preston | Posted May 6, 2025
A Montgomery resident recently received a social media direct message from someone posing as a high school acquaintance. According to the Montgomery police, the individual asked to borrow money from the victim to help with a family member’s health condition. The victim obliged and sent $1,000 to the individual. The victim later heard from other friends that the account of the high school acquaintance was hacked. The victim reported the crime to Montgomery police on April 24.
Montgomery Police responded to Scarborough Road for a theft report on April 21. Police said that sometime between April 18 and April 21, tools valued at approximately $9,000 were stolen from a truck parked at the construction site on Scarborough Road. Police are investigating.
Montgomery Police responded to County Route 601 for a reckless driver on April 19 at 9:44 pm. Sgt John Colucci located the vehicle at the intersection of Great Road and Cherry Valley Road. Colucci stopped the vehicle on Great Road after observing motor vehicle violations. The operator, a male identified as Melquiade Paz-Gonzalez, 46 of Lawrenceville, was arrested after Colucci determined he was driving while intoxicated.
Paz-Gonzalez was transported to MTPD HQ, where he was processed and released. Paz-Gonzalez was issued citations for driving while intoxicated, refusal to submit to breath testing, delaying traffic, failure to maintain lane, reckless driving, and having an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle. Paz-Gonzalez is scheduled to appear in Montgomery Municipal Court.
Montgomery Police Officer Troy Gonzalez responded to Route 206 on April 21 at 9:58 pm, after receiving notification from the Flock Safety Automated License Plate Reader system of a vehicle associated with a missing person traveling in Montgomery.
Officer Gonzalez located the vehicle and initiated a motor vehicle stop in the area of Orchard Road and Route 209. Officer Gonzalez confirmed the driver was the individual reported missing to East Windsor Police. Officer Gonzalez escorted the individual to MTPD HQ to wait for a family member to pick up the person.
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Officer Connor Chapkowski stopped a vehicle on Route 206 operated by Wilkens Bateau, 26, of Hamilton, for motor vehicle violations on April 25 at 11:03 am. During the course of the stop, Officer Chapkowski located several license plates from New Jersey and other states for vehicles not associated with Bateau. One of the license plates was reported stolen.
Officer Chapkowski subsequently arrested Bateau and transported him to MTPD HQ for processing. Bateau was charged with Receiving Stolen Property, as well as the motor vehicle offenses observed. Bateau was released and is scheduled to appear in Montgomery Municipal Court.
Montgomery Police Officer Austin Van Ness stopped a vehicle operated by Steven Hawthorne, 44, of Hillsborough, on Route 206 near Opossum Road for a motor vehicle violation on April 25 at 3:31am. During the course of the stop, Officer Van Ness determined Hawthorne had two active warrants for his arrest from Bound Brook and Readington Municipal Courts. Officer Van Ness placed Hawthorne under arrest and transported him to MTPD HQ. Hawthorne was turned over to Bound Brook Police.
