Police blotter
The following items are based on information from police, unless otherwise noted:
WEST WINDSOR
Armed Robbery Arrests: Gregory T. Smith, 53, of Philadelphia; Benjamin Green, 47, of Philadelphia; and Tyreane D. Tucker-Bowen, 44, of Orange, New Jersey, were arrested Tuesday night in connection with a retail armed robbery that spawned a high-speed police chase. West Windsor patrol units were dispatched to the AT&T store off Route 1 on a reported armed robbery in progress. A black Chevrolet Equinox with an obscured and fictitious Pennsylvania license plate was observed leaving the parking lot as the initial officers arrived on scene about 8 p.m. Tuesday. Patrolman James Collins followed the SUV as it traveled northbound on Route 1 into Plainsboro Township. Collins, in a fully marked patrol car, attempted to initiate a stop of the Equinox. However, the operator, identified as Tyreane Tucker-Bowen, immediately attempted to elude Collins. Tucker-Bowen exited at Scudders Mill Road, continued onto the Route 1 overpass and entered onto Route 1 South back into West Windsor Township. Tucker-Bowen allegedly operated the vehicle in a highly aggressive manner while she weaved in and out of lanes through moderate traffic while attempting to lose Collins. Patrol Officers
Kyle Brown and Alison Pollini joined Collins as the Chevrolet continued southbound on Route 1 at a high rate of speed. The vehicle turned abruptly onto Carnegie Center Boulevard westbound past Canal Pointe Boulevard and then continued onto Heritage Boulevard northbound. The Chevrolet came to a stop on Heritage Boulevard at Federal Court, where Patrolman Daniel Latham, who had been working an extra duty traffic assignment on Canal Pointe Boulevard, took custody of Tucker-Bowen without incident. Afterward, the Chevy SUV caught on fire due to the extreme and intense driving by Tucker-Bowen, police said. Patrol Officers Brown and Collins battled the flames until West Windsor Emergency Services safely extinguished the fire. Firefighters from Station No. 44 also responded to the scene of the fire. During the pursuit, Sgt. Anthony Magistro, Detective William Jones, Patrolman Edward McQuade and Patrolman Frank Zicha were at the AT&T store and determined that two employees had been taken at gunpoint into the rear storage room at closing time of the business. Both employees had been tied up with zip ties on their ankles and wrists with their hands behind their backs. Robbery suspects Gregory Smith and Benjamin Green exited the rear storage room, where they had been with the two bound employees. Detective Jones and Patrolman McQuade took Smith and Green into custody without further incident. Sgt. Magistro checked on the welfare of the victims. Two loaded handguns, proceeds, and other instrumentalities were located. One of the loaded handguns had two hollow point bullets. TuckerBowen was issued a litany of motor vehicle summonses and charged with robbery, kidnapping and eluding. Smith and Green were charged with robbery, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon and kidnapping. All three defendants were jailed at the Mercer County Correction Center pending court hearings. A total of 15 West Windsor police officers were involved in the investigation that led to those three arrests.
MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP
Drugs In The Car: Kathryn Valis-Hale, 20, of Manville, and Walter Paiz Jr., 21, of Bound Brook, were arrested early Wednesday following a traffic stop. Montgomery Police about 12:15a.m. stopped a Honda Accord operated by Valis-Hale after observing her make an illegal turn off Route 206onto Orchard Road. During the stop, police detected the odor of marijuana coming from the interior of the vehicle. The front seat passenger, identified as Paiz, admitted that he had smoked marijuana in the vehicle and possessed a small quantity of marijuana. A search of the vehicle yielded marijuana and Paiz was placed under arrest. He was transported to the Montgomery Township police headquarters for processing and served a summons for alleged possession of marijuana under 50grams. Paiz was released and has a court appearance scheduled in municipal court. Valis-Hale was issued motor vehicle summonses for alleged failure to observe a traffic control signal and driving while suspended and is scheduled to appear in municipal court.