Police blotter
The information below was provided by police unless otherwise noted.
Trenton
Canal Jumper: A 16-year-old city teenager feared for his life when he saw three individuals hop out of a car near West State Street, start walking toward him aggressively and heard one shout street slang that made him think they were about to rain bullets down. The three men remain unidentified as police continue the investigation. After hopping out of the car, one of them shouted at the teen, “What’s up?” The teen walked faster away from the trio, who matched him pace for pace. Then he heard one shout, “Yo, bust ’em.” Fearing the group may have a gun and he was about to get shot, the teenager jumped the fence and dove into the Delaware and Raritan Canal. He was pulled by a “concerned citizen,” who drove the boy to the hospital. Cops got the call around 2:17p.m. about a street fight involving a gun. When they arrived, they spoke to a witness who watched the three males chase the victim. Other witnesses said they thought shots were fired. Police reviewed surveillance and spoke to the 16-year-old who said he was walking on West State Street when the group frightened him. The victim didn’t see a gun, and didn’t
wait around long enough to find out if they had one, before bailing into the canal. He didn’t hear any shots as he scaled the fence and plunged into the cold water. Police canvassed the area for bullet fragments and spent shell casings but came up empty. The case is being investigated as harassment, unless authorities find evidence of another crime.
Stabbing: A stabbing victim told police he was trying to intervene in a fight between two women on the 100block of Old Rose Street when somebody came at him with a knife. The victim, believed to be in his 40s, said he was trying to break up the fray when a black man in a blue jacket brandished a knife and stabbed him in the chest. He received treatment and was in stable condition at Capital Health Medical Regional Center. Cops initially believed the stabbing might have been connected to the canal jumper because the calls came in within five minutes of each other, but further investigation revealed they were unrelated.
Passed Out: Sameer Doshi, 47, was popped for DUI after officers patrolling Perry and Ewing streets noticed someone passed out in a car. Doshi was slumped behind the wheel on the 500block of Perry Street. Officers pulled behind the car and noticed the window was slightly down. They tried to wake Doshi, who didn’t respond. Paramedics were called but Doshi woke up. Officers saw an open container on his seat while they spoke to him. He “could barely walked under his own power without the officers’ help,” Trenton Police spokesman Lt. Stephen Varn said. He was arrested for driving under the influence. He refused to submit to a breath test back at headquarters and was hit with additional charges and motor vehicle tickets.
Heroin Bust: Matthew Lewis, 25, and Tomas Sinkevicius, 22, were both hooked and booked on drug charges. Police noticed two men in a Ford Truck around 8p.m. in the area of Oakland and Hoffman streets. Police saw a syringe and hypodermic needle when they approached the truck. They also saw a cap, which is commonly used to mix heroin before shooting up. Officers noticed a ripped-open glassine bag. Lewis and Sinkevicius were removed from the car. Lewis, the passenger, was arrested while Sinkevicius was searched and found with 12 heroin bags. Cops also found two more needles in the car.
Busted: James Grades, 42, was spotted by street crime detectives discarding a plastic bag and stomping it on Hills Place. He was trying to destroy two grams of crack cocaine. Another man, Charles Adrey, 40, was with him and arrested on warrants.
Fight: Maurice Tyree Steppe, 29, surrendered to police at headquarters on an assault warrant. The assault stemmed from Aug. 15, when his girlfriend told police he lashed out at her around 7p.m. inside a store. Cops responded and spoke to the woman who said her beau pushed her against a wall while they argued. He took off before the cops got there.