October 29, 2003
Mercer
County Prosecutor Joseph L. Bocchini, Jr., today announced that a Mercer County
Grand Jury returned a 17 count indictment against Byron Higginbotham (aka Eugene Johnson), age 36, of the 600 block of
Stuyvesant Avenue, for a rash of burglaries in Lawrence, Pennington, East
Windsor and West Windsor Township. These
burglaries, which occurred between December of 2002 and February of 2003, also
stretched into Cranbury Township, Middlesex County and Bucks County,
Pennsylvania.
According to Prosecutor Bocchini, several municipalities in Mercer County
(East Windsor, Lawrence, West Windsor, Pennington and Ewing) as well as Cranbury
Township in Middlesex County, Upper and Lower Makefield and Solebury Townships
in Pennsylvania began to experience a series of early evening burglaries
starting on December 21, 2002. A
Task Force, consisting of the affected municipalities, was formed to exchange
information and intelligence about the burglaries, headed by Detectives Joseph
Lech, IV of Lawrence, Detective Brian Melnick of West Windsor and Detective Jeff
Valentino of East Windsor.
The Task Force began to notice similarities in the nearly 60 burglaries
that had occurred since December, 2002. Specifically,
the majority of the burglaries occurred in the early evening hours; forced entry
was made through the rear of the homes; a prying tool was used to force the
entry; and, jewelry, cash and small, easily moveable items were usually taken
from the homes. At several of the
homes, a prying toll (crow bar) was found. Detective Melnick of the West Windsor
Police Department was able to trace the crow bar and determine that they were
purchased at a hardware store in Trenton.
The task force then began to develop information suggesting that Higginbotham,
who was released from prison on December 6, 2002, was the perpetrator of the
burglaries.
On February 14, 2003, the Task Force, assisted by the Prosecutor’s
Special Investigations Unit (SIU), followed Higginbotham
to “Jeweler’s Row” in Philadelphia where he pawned approximately $20,000
worth jewelry for $700. That
jewelry was later determined to be the proceeds of burglaries that occurred in
East Windsor and Cranbury.
Members of the SIU then followed Higginbotham
from Philadelphia to Stuyvesant Avenue where officers attempted to stop him.
Higginbotham eluded the police
and in a car chase then led officers on a several block foot chase and
eventually ran into his parent’s home on Stuyvesant Avenue, Trenton.
At this point, Detective Lech obtained a search warrant for the home and
called in the Trenton Police Department’s SWAT team to assist in executing the
warrant as a handgun had been stolen during one of the burglaries.
Officers entered the home and found Higginbotham
hiding in a crawl space behind a bedroom wall.
A dresser had been pulled in front of the crawl space opening. There was toilet paper, water, bedding and clothes with
defendant in the crawl space.
On February 15, 2003, the East Windsor Police Department obtained a
search warrant for 686 Stuyvesant Avenue. As
a result of the search, officers discovered a pair of boots that had been worn
in the East Windsor burglary. Inside
the boots, officers discovered an earring that had been taken in that burglary
as well as a stolen handgun. Officers
also discovered a crow bar similar to those left behind at several of the
burglary scenes. Also discovered
was jewelry taken in burglaries committed in Lawrence Township, Upper Makefield,
Cranbury and Pennington.
Some days later, Detective Lech of Lawrence Township Police Department
obtained a search warrant for Higginbotham’s
1994 Dodge Spirit. Inside the
vehicle, officers discovered additional quantities of jewelry, a crow bar, and a
suede jacket stolen in a burglary in Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania.
Higginbotham also stands indicted for a burglary in Cranbury. Pennsylvania charges are also pending. Higginbotham faces 91 ½ years in jail on the Mercer County Indictment. He is presently incarcerated in lieu of bail.