This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Crime & Safety

UPDATE: 3 Arrested in Weekend Chase, Charged With Car Burglaries

Fourth suspect is still at large

The East Brunswick Police Department has identified three suspects who were arrested following a high-speed pursuit and foot chase Sunday night. According to a press release, the arrests were made after the suspects allegedly broke into several cars parked at East Brunswick High School for a soccer tournament. As of late Monday night, one unidentified suspect remains at large.

According to police, the three males in custody are Kenneth Williamson, 32, Earl Melton, 22, and Willie Butler, 28, all from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The EBPD was first contacted by an unidentified witness who observed several black males breaking into vehicles parked at the high school. According to the witness, the males left the high school in a van.  

Find out what's happening in East Brunswickwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

After spotting the van on Cranbury Road, Pt. Michael DiBuono and Ptl. Philip Hoffman attempted to stop the vehicle, but the suspects would not comply. This encounter gave way to a high-speed pursuit onto Ryders Lane and then back onto Cranbury Road. The chase ended when the suspects lost control of the van in front of the Middlesex County Fairgrounds. The van crashed into a telephone pole, splitting the pole in half and downing power lines across Cranbury Road. All four men then fled on foot from the vehicle.

One of the suspects was arrested by Ptl. DiBuono and Ptl. Hoffman in the field on the fairgrounds. Shortly after, a second suspect was apprehended behind a business on Cranbury Road by Ptl. Kevin Bolch who provided back-up in the pursuit.

Find out what's happening in East Brunswickwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The two other suspects fled the scene in opposite directions. The South Brunswick Police Department and the New Jersey State Police K9 Unit worked with patrol units and searched for several hours. The next morning, police discovered that the suspect Kenneth Williamson had returned to his hotel room in South Brunswick.

The South Brunswick Police Department took Williamson into custody without incident. He was then transported to a New Brunswick hospital for treatment of a leg injury sustained from the car accident.   

Police also found two females in the suspects’ hotel room. One is wanted for crimes in Florida and will face extradition. The other, a 17-year-old, was taken by the N.J. Division of Youth and Family Service to be reunited with her family who was reportedly unaware she had traveled to N.J.

Williamson was treated for his injury and later released back to police custody. Williamson, Melton, and Butler were all charged with multiple crimes including seven counts of burglary to motor vehicles. They were transported to Middlesex County Adult Correction Center in North Brunswick in lieu of $150,00 bail.

The fourth suspect is still at large, and there is no description available at this time.

According to police, the suspects are part of a larger ring of burglars who target women. It has been reported in other jurisdictions that the men burglarize vehicles in places where women gather such as coffee shops, gyms, and other locations where personal belongings may be left in the car. The EBPD reminds all residents to keep their car doors locked and hide valuable items from sight.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.