Crime & Safety

Beep Beep! Collingswood Police Nab Alleged Auto Burglars

A neighbor was alerted to their presence when one of the alleged burglars accidentally leaned on his car horn.

The sound of his own car horn alerted an Arlington Avenue resident to the presence of a suspicious person in his vehicle, which, shortly thereafter, led Collingswood police to arrest a trio of men who had allegedly broken into it.

On September 9, police received a call of a suspicious person in the 100 block of Arlington Avenue. 

The caller—whose vehicle wasn't locked—told police that he heard his car horn sound around 1:30 a.m. Officers checking the area found three men walking down the 100 block of Park Avenue, and stopped them.

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The men were found to be in possession of some GPS units, scratch-off lottery tickets and assorted change, police said. By checking the home address on the GPS, police were able to confirm with a victim that the property had been taken from his car.

Charged in the incident were Samuel A. Calabrese, 27; Patrick Aukett, 19; and Carmelo Ortiz, 29; all of Collingswood. 

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Calabrese and Aukett were charged with third-degree burglary, third-degree conspiracy to commit burglary, and with disorderly persons theft; Ortiz was charged with attempted burglary. 

Calabrese and Aukett were remanded to the Camden County correctional facility on default of $15,000 bail.


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