Police in Clinton Township arrested the trio after getting an alert from Readington police.
CLINTON TWP. -- Three people from Florida who are suspected in "smash and grab" burglaries around New Jersey were arrested here on Wednesday, after local police were alerted to watch for a gray Hyundai Sonata with Tennessee plates.
The alert came on July 27, around 3:30 p.m., when township officers got a radio report from Readington police. Officers advised them to check health and fitness centers in Clinton Township because several "smash and grab" burglaries of vehicles had just happened at the Deer Path YMCA in Readington.
A Clinton Township Police detective then drove into the parking lot of Snap-Fitness at the Beaver Brook Concourse and immediately saw a gray 2016 Hyundai Sonata rental vehicle with tinted windows and Tennessee license plates that matched the description of the vehicle, which was suspected in multiple burglaries across New Jersey recently, police said.
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The detective and arriving patrol officers approached the car and smelled marijuana, police said.
"Further investigation linked the occupants to the Readington Township burglaries," police said. Officers arrested Devonte Deshawn Jean-Pierre, 20, Selassie Ward, 19, and Ourian Duroseau Jr., 20, all of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
They were charged with possessing the government document of another, receiving stolen property, possession of burglars' tools, and possession of less than 50 grams of marijuana. Jean-Pierre was also found to be entered into the National Crime Information Center system as "wanted" out of Black Hawk County, Iowa, stemming from prior charges of burglary of a motor vehicle and possession of a controlled dangerous substance, though Iowa authorities would not extradite from New Jersey.
Bail was set at $5,000 and all three men were turned over to the Readington Township Police.
Sallie Graziano may be reached at sgraziano@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SallieGraziano. Find NJ.com on Facebook.