LOPATCONG TOWNSHIP, NJ (Warren County) – Police have arrested a Middlesex County man they say attempted to steal cooking oil from a Lopatcong Township restaurant last month.
On Sept. 26, at around 2:11 a.m., the owner of Acasia Thai Restaurant, located at 755 Memorial Parkway, called 9-1-1 after he observed a man on his surveillance cameras stealing cooking oil from the rear of the building, police said.
Officers arrived a short time later and confronted the man who was identified as Eric J. Marrero, 33, of Carteret, police said.
Marrero had a Penske van backed up close to the building and inside the van he had a generator with two long hoses, as well as two large plastic tanks. He had allegedly been preparing to pump the cooking oil out of the store’s metal container into his plastic containers, police said.
Marrero was taken into custody and charged with fourth-degree criminal attempt to commit theft and fourth-degree possession of burglary tools.
Marrero was then lodged in Warren County Jail pending a court appearance.
