Police blotter
The information below was provided by police unless otherwise noted.
Trenton
Daddy Issues: Douglas Wampler, 27, was hit with aggravated assault and weapons charges. Cops responded to the 100 block of Anderson Street for a shooting in progress. On the way they were told someone shot a family member with a BB gun. The victim, a 49-year-old man, suffered minor puncture wounds to his cheek when his stepson, Wampler, opened fire on him inside their house. Wampler was standing at the top of the steps with an air pistol in his hands when he blasted his step-dad in the face twice with plastic pellets. The plastic projectiles didn’t rip through the man’s cheek, and he refused medical attention. Cops recovered the BB gun. Police don’t know what prompted Wampler to pop off on his step-dad.
Drugs: Rahkeem Elliot, 29, got snared by street crime detectives who interrupted a drug deal, cops said. Elliot tried to leave the area but was nabbed by the cops after they smelled marijuana on him. He had 100 grams of pot and was hit with those offenses.
Pot Man: Jabre Harmon, 23, was popped on the 200 block of Hamilton Avenue by street crime detectives who saw him in the area, They saw him drop drugs on the ground, and he was hooked and booked. Cops found some synthetic marijuana, seven Oxycodone pills and $485 in cash, seized as suspected drug proceeds.
Dope and Dash: Reakqwon Malik Wade, 20, was popped for having drugs on the first block of North Hermitage Avenue. Street crimes detectives saw Wade drop drugs on the ground and run. Cops recovered 10 decks of heroin and $460 in cash, seized as suspected drug proceeds. He was charged with drug and drug-distribution charges. He also had a warrant for his arrest.
Hopewell Township
Home Fire: A house fire on Stony Brook Road off Route 518 caused major damage after firefighters from multiple agencies battled to get it under control Monday afternoon. The blaze broke out around 2:30 p.m. when a 911 caller noticed a neighbor’s home engulfed in flames. The couple who lived in the home were outside when firefighters arrived. The fire was brought under control around 3:15 P.M. The home had heat, smoke and water damage and was deemed uninhabitable. Investigators believe the cause was accidental when a portable generator caught fire outside the home while the homeowner was using it. Gusty conditions may have contributed to spreading the flames to the home. The home’s utility power and the generator was not being used to power the residence at the time of the fire, which remains under investigation by the Hopewell Township Police Department and Hopewell Valley Emergency Services. The Red Cross is assisting the displaced residents.
Middletown Township
Rape: Pete Pomante, 29, of Upper Chichester Township, was charged in connection with a rape after he allegedly forced a 22-year-old woman into a vehicle, attacked and threatened to kill her. Cops said he forced the victim, who had injuries to her hands, face, neck, legs and torso, into having sex with him. She was treated at a hospital and released. Pomante is charged with counts of rape, kidnapping, robbery, aggravated assault, simple Assault, strangulation, indecent assault, sexual assault, and terroristic threats. He was arraigned and remanded to Delaware County Prison on $1 million cash bail. He and the victim were in relationship before the crime occurred, cops said.