SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ – A Middlesex County man has been arrested in connection with several commercial burglaries that took place between December 3, 2024, and December 16, 2024, in Somerset County, according to Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald.
Prosecutor McDonald stated that on December 3, 2024, at approximately 2:05 a.m., an individual was captured on surveillance video using a crowbar to break the front door glass of a convenience store located on U.S. Hwy 206 in Bedminster. After gaining entry, the individual stole approximately $267.00 in cash from two registers before fleeing.
Just 40 minutes later, the same individual was seen on surveillance cameras in the area of commercial properties on Washington Valley Road in Warren Township. After forcing entry into three properties, the burglar stole U.S. currency and a gaming console. Losses from the burglaries were reported as $300, $100, and $1,200, respectively, McDonald said.
On December 14, 2024, at approximately 1:19 a.m., Branchburg Township Police responded to a report of a suspicious person throwing items at a business window on U.S. Hwy 202. Officers arrived to find the glass of the front door shattered and a male inside. The individual fled upon confrontation. It was determined that the suspect had entered by using a glass-break tool and stole approximately $415.00 from the cash registers, McDonald said.
Then, on December 16, 2024, at approximately 4:29 a.m., an individual was captured on surveillance video pulling into a parking lot of storefronts on Martinsville Road in Basking Ridge. Three businesses had broken windows, and the individual stole $120 from one store and tools from another before fleeing, McDonald said.
Later that morning, at approximately 5:05 a.m., the same suspect was seen attempting to break into an establishment on Washington Avenue in Green Brook, using a hammer to destroy the door. The individual was also seen breaking the lock on a file cabinet in the office, McDonald said.
The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Burglary Unit, in collaboration with local police departments, identified Gabriel Bay, 56, of Milltown as the individual responsible for the burglaries. On December 17, 2024, Bay was arrested without incident in Milltown and charged with several counts of third-degree burglary, theft, and criminal mischief, as well as possession of burglary tools, McDonald said.
Bay was processed at the Somerset County Jail before being transferred to the Morris County Jail. He was later served with additional charges from various towns, including Bedminster, Bernards Township, and Green Brook, in connection with the burglaries.
The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office encourages anyone with information about these incidents to contact the Burglary Unit at (908) 231-7100 or via the STOPit app, which allows for anonymous tips. Tips can also be submitted to Somerset County Crime Stoppers at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477). All information will be kept confidential.
