SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ – A 26-year-old and a 17-year-old have been charged in connection with multiple commercial burglaries in Somerset County, but the 26-year-old is still wanted by authorities, according to Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald.
On Tuesday, November 26, 2024, at approximately 9:20 p.m., a commercial business located on Route 206 in Somerville was burglarized. The burglary was captured on video surveillance. The rear door of the business was pried open to gain entry. Upon gaining entry to the store, the individual targeted the cash registers taking a sum of U.S. currency before fleeing the area.
On Friday, November 29, 2024, at approximately 1:45 a.m., a commercial business located on Route 22 East in Green Brook was burglarized. The rear door to the business was pried open to gain entry. Once inside, the cash registers and office area were broken into using a pry tool. A sum of U.S. currency was taken from this location.
Then on the same date, at 2:04 a.m., an attempted burglary occurred at a business located on Route 22 West in North Plainfield. An alarm was activated when the door to the business was pried open causing the suspect to flee the area. At 2:10 a.m., forced entry was made into another business located on Route 22 West in North Plainfield. A crowbar was used to open the cash register and a sum of U.S currency was stolen from the location.
On Monday, December 2, 2024, at approximately 9:15 p.m. the same commercial business located on U.S. Hwy 206 in Somerville that was burglarized on November 26, 20204, was burglarized again. A pry tool was used to gain entry through the rear door and a sum of U.S currency was removed from the cash registers and business office.
Also on Monday, December 2, 2024, at approximately 10:07 p.m. three commercial burglaries were committed at a strip mall located on Washington Valley Road in Bridgewater. Two individuals were captured on video surveillance. During these burglaries the rear and side doors of the businesses were pried open. During one of the burglaries, an individual is seen using a small crowbar to open the cash register. A sum of U.S. currency was stolen in total from all three stores. The actors also attempted to gain entry to other stores located in the strip mall but were unsuccessful.
Then on the same date, at 10:48 p.m. a commercial business located on Washington Valley Road in Warren Township was burglarized. Entry was gained by prying the side door to the business open. A sum of U.S. currency was taken from the cash register. The burglary was captured on surveillance footage which depicted two individuals who matched the description of the same two individuals that committed the burglaries in Bridgewater approximately twenty minutes earlier.
The investigation led to the identification of Emmanuel Tolentino, 26, of Scotch Plains and a seventeen-year-old male from Roselle as allegedly responsible for the burglaries.
On Wednesday, December 4, 2024, Emmanuel Tolentino was arrested by officers from the Green Brook Township Police Department without incident in Green Brook for the burglary committed on November 29, 2024. He was charged with third-degree burglary, third-degree theft, fourth-degree criminal mischief, and possession of burglary tools. he was lodged in at the Somerset County Jail and later released.
Further investigation was conducted by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Burglary Task Force which resulted in additional information and investigative leads which led to additional arrests by other agencies.
On Monday, December 9, 2024, Tolentino was arrested by members of the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office and the Warren Township Police Department in Green Brook Township without incident. He was charged with third-degree burglary, third-degree theft, fourth-degree criminal mischief, and possession of burglary tools for the burglary that occurred in Warren Township on December 2, 2024. He was released pending a court date in this matter.
On January 23, 2025, a complaint summons was generated by the Bridgewater Township Police Department for a seventeen-year-old teen for three counts of third-degree burglary, three counts of third-degree criminal mischief, third-degree theft of moveable property for his involvement in the burglaries that occurred in the Township of Bridgewater on December 2, 2024.
On Wednesday, January 29, 2025,Tolentino was arrested in Scotch Plains by Bridgewater Township Police Department and charged with three counts of third-degree burglary, third-degree theft, and three counts of criminal mischief for the burglaries committed in Bridgewater on December 2, 2024. he was lodged in the Somerset County Jail pending a court hearing.
On January 30, 2025, while lodged in the Somerset County Jail, officers from the Somerville Police Department served Tolentino with a complaint for charges of two counts of third-degree burglary, two counts of fourth-degree theft, two counts of fourth-degree criminal mischief and two counts of possession of burglary tools stemming from the two burglaries that occurred in Somerville on November 26, 2024 and on December 2, 2024. He was released from jail later that day.
On February 5, 2025, Warren Township Police Department were approved to charge the 17-year-old on a complaint summons for one count of third-degree burglary, third-degree theft, and criminal mischief for his involvement in the burglary that occurred in Warren Township on December 2, 2024.
Tolentino has also been charged by officers from the North Plainfield Police Department with two counts of third-degree burglary, third-degree theft and third-degree criminal mischief for the burglary and attempted burglary that occurred in North Plainfield on November 29, 2024. He has not been served with this criminal complaint and is wanted for these charges. Authorities are asking anyone with information leading to the whereabouts of defendant Tolentino to contact either the North Plainfield Police Department or the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office.
Anyone with information regarding these burglaries is urged to contact the Somerset County Prosecutors Office Burglary Unit at (908) 231-7100 or via the STOPit app. The STOPit app allows citizens to provide anonymous reports including videos and photos. STOPit can be downloaded to your smart phone for free at the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, access code: SOMERSETNJ. Information can also be provided through the Somerset County Crime Stoppers’ Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477). All anonymous STOPit reports, and Crime Stopper tips will be kept confidential.
