SOUTH BRUNSWICK — Police have charged a suspect who allegedly caused $10,000 worth of damage in a vandalism spree on Mother’s Day.
Ajinka “AJ” Kelkar, 20, is accused of going to a mistaken location and damaging five vehicles on May 8. A resident of a Friendship Road home told police that around 1:15 a.m. there was a hissing air noise outside, according to a statement prepared by the South Brunswick Police Department.
The resident reportedly observed slashed tires on a Ford pickup, according to police. The parents then woke up, and the mother saw that her Suburban had its tires slashed. Family members then saw that their Jeep Wrangler had obscenities scratched on its door and fender as well as its tires slashed and its roof stabbed.
Friends who were spending the night saw that their vehicles’ tires had been slashed, according to police; those vehicles are a Dodge and Chevy pickup.
Officers and family members reviewed the home surveillance tape and observed a suspect moments earlier damaging the vehicle in their driveway, police said. Police reportedly recognized the image in the videotape as Kelkar. Police went to his residence and apprehended him around 6:30 a.m., according to reports.
Police seized the rental pickup truck that Kelkar had allegedly used in the commission of the crime.
According to the statement, police learned that Kelkar had observed a vehicle in the driveway that he believed belonged to a person who was dating his former girlfriend. The video reportedly showed Kelkar allegedly walking around the property with a knife doing the damage.
Kelkar was charged with trespassing and third degree criminal mischief. He was also charged with being an unlicensed driver. His bail was set at $10,000, which he posted and was released.
Kelkar faces up to five years in prison if convicted.
