Bernards Police Investigating Two Burglaries in Same Neighborhood

Township Police are investigating and also comparing notes with other law enforcement agencies regarding two reported burglaries of homes within the same time frame in a northern Basking Ridge neighborhood bounded by West Oak Street and North Finley Avenue, said Sgt. Mike Voorhees.

According to Bernards police records, someone forced into a home on Lee Place near the railroad tracks at some time between 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 6.

The homeowner discovered the break-in upon returning home, and notified police. An undetermined amount of cash and jewelry appears to have been taken from a bedroom, Voorhees.

Meanwhile, it appears that a potential thief or thieves may have left empty-handed after breaking into an unoccupied home on nearby Allen Street some time between Jan. 31 to Feb. 7, Voorhees said.

Again, the house was forcibly entered, the police report. However, Voorhees said it appears that nothing may have been taken, and the burglar may have just left for some reason.

December burglaries in The Hills still being investigated

Voorhees said the two reported burglaries were the first in the township in this year.

However, in The Hills section of the township, with jewelry taken in most of the incidents. Those break-ins were being investigated in cooperation with the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office, police said then.

Voorhees said on Thursday that those burglaries still are being investigated. A similar break-in took place in Bedminster around the same time, he added.

Voorhees said at that time the forced-entry break-ins shared a similar pattern within the town, but he could not say if they are possibly linked to other incidents in surrounding communities, or other counties.

On Wednesday, he said township police are in communications with a variety of other law enforcement agencies, including those in Hunterdon County, where he said there have been a number of recent burglaries.

He said the township police also hand out fliers at nearby homes seeking information for unusual cars or other possible leads in the investigation.

The range of burglars includes drug users seeking cash and professional burglary rings, all of whom may be operating at the same time, he noted.

Often, "It's a long process" in tracking burglars, he said.