CLINTON TOWNSHIP, NJ (Hunterdon County) – A wanted man hauling a stolen trailer was arrested in Clinton Township last week, according to Clinton Township Police Chief Thomas A. DeRosa.
On April 15, an officer on patrol received an alert from an automated license plate reader regarding an expired registration on a passing trailer, DeRosa said.
The alert also indicated that the registered owner’s driver’s license was suspended. The officer initiated a motor vehicle stop on Runkle Drive, and the driver was identified as Christopher H. Soto, 29, of Clinton Township, DeRosa said.
An inquiry revealed that the trailer’s license plates were registered to a different vehicle and that the trailer in Soto’s possession had been reported stolen. Additionally, Soto had an active warrant in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), issued by the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office, DeRosa said.
The vehicle and trailer were impounded, and Soto was arrested and transported to the Clinton Township Police Department for processing, DeRosa said.
Soto was criminally charged with receiving stolen property and contempt of court. He was also issued motor vehicle summonses for driving while suspended, uninsured motorist, failure to inspect, unregistered vehicle, maintenance of lamps, and possession of unsealed cannabis.
He was subsequently turned over to the custody of the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office on the NCIC warrant.
