40° and Clear
Image
SOMERVILLE, N.J. – Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald and Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives Francisco Roman Jr. announced the arrest of Emmanuel Tolentino, age 26, Front Street, Scotch Plains, New Jersey in relation to several commercial burglaries which occurred between November 26, 2024, and December 2, 2024, in Somerset County. A seventeen-year-old male from Roselle, New Jersey was also charged in two of the commercial burglaries.
Prosecutor McDonald stated that on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, at approximately 9:20 p.m., a commercial business located on U.S. Hwy 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. Officers from the Somerville Police Department responded to the scene to investigate.
Prosecutor McDonald stated on Friday, November 29, 2024, at approximately 1:45 a.m., a commercial business located on US Hwy 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. Officers from the Green Brook Township Police Department responded to the scene to investigate.
On the same date, Friday, November 29, 2024, at 2:04 a.m., an attempted burglary occurred at a business located on U.S. Hwy 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. Officers from the North Plainfield Police Department responded to the scene to investigate.
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. Officers from the Somerville Police Department responded to investigate.
Prosecutor McDonald stated that 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. Officers from the Bridgewater Township Police Department responded to the scene to investigate.
On the same date, Monday, December 2, 2024, 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. Officers from the Warren Township Police Department responded to investigate.
The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Burglary Unit conducted a joint investigation with officers/detectives from the Somerville Police Department, Green Brook Township Police Department, North Plainfield Police Department, Bridgewater Police Department and the Warren Township Police Department. The investigation led to the identification of both individuals responsible for the burglaries. The individual committing the burglaries was identified as Emmanuel Tolentino. The second individual involved was identified as a seventeen-year-old male from Roselle, New Jersey.
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. Defendant Tolentino was charged with 3rd degree Burglary, 3rd degree Theft, 4th degree Criminal Mischief, and Possession of Burglary tools, a disorderly person’s offense. Defendant Tolentino 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. Defendant Tolentino was charged with 3rd degree Burglary, 3rd degree Theft, 4th degree Criminal Mischief, and Possession of Burglary tools, a disorderly person’s offense for the burglary that occurred in Warren Township on December 2, 2024. Defendant Tolentino 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 juvenile male from Roselle, New Jersey for three counts of 3rd degree Burglary, three counts of 3rd degree Criminal Mischief, 3rd degree Theft of Moveable Property and Theft of Movable Property, a disorderly person’s offense for his involvement in the burglaries that occurred in the Township of Bridgewater on December 2, 2024.
On Wednesday, January 29, 2025, Emmanuel Tolentino was arrested in Scotch Plains by Bridgewater Township Police Department and charged with three counts of 3rd degree Burglary, one count of 3rd degree Theft, one count of Theft, a disorderly person’s offense and three counts of Criminal Mischief, a disorderly person’s offense for the burglaries committed in Bridgewater on December 2, 2024. Defendant Tolentino 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 defendant Tolentino with a complaint for charges of two counts of 3rd degree Burglary, two counts of 4th degree Theft, two counts of 4th degree Criminal Mischief and two counts of Possession of Burglary Tools, a disorderly person’s offense stemming from the two burglaries that occurred in Somerville on November 26, 2024 and on December 2, 2024. Defendant Tolentino was released from jail later that day.
On February 5, 2025, Warren Township Police Department were approved to charge the seventeen-year-old male from Roselle, New Jersey on a complaint summons for one count of 3rd degree Burglary, 3rd degree Theft, and Criminal Mischief, a disorderly person’s offense for his involvement in the burglary that occurred in Warren Township on December 2, 2024.
Defendant Tolentino has also been charged by officers from the North Plainfield Police Department with two counts of 3rd degree Burglary, one count of 3rd degree Theft and one count of 3rd degree Criminal Mischief for the burglary and attempted burglary that occurred in North Plainfield on November 29, 2024. Defendant Tolentino 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.
Prosecutor McDonald would like to thank members of the Somerville Police Department, Green Brook Police Department, North Plainfield Police Department, Bridgewater Police Department and Warren Township Police Department for their involvement in this investigation. Prosecutor McDonald would also like to thank members of the Scotch Plains Police Department for their assistance with this investigation.
Prosecutor McDonald and Chief Roman request anyone with information regarding these burglaries 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.
NOTE: The charges are merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
More News from Raritan
- RVCC Student Named Coca-Cola Academic Team Gold Scholar Amodh Naik, a Computer Science major and President of the RVCC Computer Science Club, plans to graduate this spring and transfer to a four-year school.
- ICYMI - Mount Lauren Woman Accused of Abusing Children in Home Day Care The investigation began last week when an infant was taken to the family’s pediatrician for treatment of a bruised eye.
