WARREN TOWNSHIP, N.J. — Two men have been arrested and charged following a residential burglary that took place in broad daylight at an occupied home in Warren Township, Somerset County officials announced Thursday.
Jeremy Proleon-Carmen, 20, of Paterson, and Julio L. Ponce-Giannotti, 44, of Clifton, were taken into custody on Wednesday, April 30, after a homeowner reported a break-in on Briarwood Drive East shortly after 10 a.m. The suspects were arrested following a coordinated response by multiple local and county agencies using Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology to track their vehicle.
The 911 caller reported that a suspect had gained entry to the home through a basement window and provided a description of the vehicle seen fleeing the scene. Minutes later, police determined that the vehicle was equipped with a stolen New Jersey license plate and was headed north near Liberty Corner Road. The information was shared with surrounding law enforcement agencies.
A Bernards Township patrol officer located the vehicle and conducted a motor vehicle stop on Mount Airy Road. Officers from the Warren Township Police Department and detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Burglary Unit responded to the scene and arrested both suspects without incident.
Suspects held pending detention hearing in Somerset County Jail
Proleon-Carmen and Ponce-Giannotti have been charged with second-degree burglary, second-degree conspiracy to commit burglary, and fourth-degree criminal mischief. Both men are being held at the Somerset County Jail pending a Superior Court detention hearing.
Authorities did not report any injuries or confrontations inside the residence, and it remains unclear if anything was taken from the home during the break-in. The case is being handled by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Burglary Task Force.
Prosecutor John P. McDonald praised the efforts of the multiple law enforcement agencies involved, stating that their “timely sharing of critical information” led directly to the quick identification and apprehension of the suspects.
Warren Township and Somerset County officials urge anyone with information related to this incident to contact the Burglary Task Force or submit anonymous tips via the STOPit app or Crime Stoppers.