The Prom Dress Theft That Wasn't; Man Stinks at Child's Game

Each week, Patch combs through the more shocking, surprising and often absurd alleged criminal acts and police-related incidents that unfold throughout New Jersey. Here’s what went on this week for “OMGs from NJ PDs.”

Prom Dress Theft Fabricator: Remember last week when we told you about the  from a Wayne store? Yeah… turns out the , police say. That’s the beauty of people who do dumb things without stopping the security camera first. For her trouble, and her alleged lying, store owner Patricia Dowling has an upcoming court date to answer a charge of filing a false police report.

Puppy APB Called Off: Now to a much happier update. Also last week, we told you about a heartbreaking theft: a family’s 11-week-old puppy Fiona was stolen in a break-in, along with a bunch of jewelry, electronics and personal effects. Happily, Fiona is back with her Toms River family.

Failing at Hide-and-Seek: Sometimes (often, as we see in OMG PDs), suspects make it so easy for police. Take Jack Poffenberger, 46, of Garwood. Police might never have suspected he was allegedly carrying heroin if not for Garwood’s odd behavior:  as police patrolled. We suspect Poffenberger didn’t excel at hide-and-seek as a kid either.

Fake Gun, Real Charges: A Blackwood suspect got more and less than she bargained for when she tried to . On the less side: She walked away with no cash. On the more side: A store employee wrestled her down and held her until police arrived—then she was slapped with multiple charges and $150,000 bail.

A Different Kind of Padded Bra: Many ladies look to enhance their assets, but may we suggest that they avoid narcotics to do so? Wayne Police say Cindy Lou Vandermark didn’t get the message in time. She allegedly stuffed her bra with , which police found during a traffic stop.

Wanted—Better Getaway Cart: Planning is usually the key to a clean getaway. So it seems like the thieves that broke into Minisink Pool Club in Chatham didn't figure into the . The thieves dumped the cart in the woods, but police said the suspects also made off with electronics and air horns. Be on the look out for people blowing air horns while browsing the Web. 

Find a New Line of Work, Part 1: Fifth time’s the charm (we can hope) for a Franklin Park man who led police on a chase before getting . Not only did William Campbell roll through a stop sign, but he almost hit a South Brunswick Police car and decided—as so many people featured in OMG PDs do—to lead the officer on a chase. During the pursuit, he tried to intentionally hit the police car, according to reports. After all of this, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Campbell has 10 driver’s license suspensions to his name.

Find a New Line of Work, Part 2: A Cinnaminson man isn’t exactly adept at breaking into cars, or at least getting away with it, police say. Palmyra Police charged Sean Pavlichko with —just a month after he was charged with the .