Two Newton Men Arrested for Theft/Criminal Mischief of Parking Pass Machine

[M Richards]

On Monday November 23, 2009 at about 9:21 AM, a Parking Pass machine was found by Police to have been stolen from the Adams Street Parking Plaza.  The large yellow Ventek Model 400 Pay Station fee collection machine was permanently affixed in the lot for users of the parking plaza to pay and receive parking slips for display on their dashboards while parking in the lot.  Unknown suspects had unbolted the machine and cut the wiring before taking off with the nearly 200 pound machine.  The machine, owned by the Town of Newton Parking Authority, was valued at approximately $11,000.00.

 

Surveillance cameras in the area were reviewed by investigating officers and they depicted two men removing the machine and hauling it away on a hand-truck.  Evidence showed that the machine was taken to an apartment located at 160 Spring Street where it was forcibly broken apart and about $50 worth of coins from within were taken.  From there Detectives gathered additional evidence which led to the arrest of two unemployed Newton men in the afternoon of Tuesday November 24, 2009.  The arrested men were identified as Russel Schabacker, age 49 and James Castimore, age 45.

 

Parts of the machine were later located discarded off the side of roadway along Hicks Avenue.

 

Castimore and Schabacker were charged with the following crimes:

 

·        Theft of Moveable Property NJSA 2C:20-3a.  [third degree crime]

·        Criminal Mischief NJSA 2C:17-3a.(1) [fourth degree crime]

 

The two defendants were incarcerated in the Sussex County Jail in default of bail set by Hon. Judge John E. Mulhern JMC in the amount of $10,000.00 no 10%.