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June 13, 2007

Police Remind Residents to Carefully Review Police Identification

The Woodbridge Township Police Department today announced that a Township resident has been arrested on charges of endangering the welfare of a child, criminal sexual contact, luring, and impersonating a police officer after displaying a toy badge to Woodbridge Township police officers responding to a neighborhood complaint.

According to Chief William Trenery, Woodbridge Township Police Department, Pedro A. Jirau, 57, 121 South Fulton St., Woodbridge, was arrested on June 9 by Woodbridge Township police officers after responding to a neighborhood harassment complaint. Jirau remains incarcerated in the Middlesex County Jail in lieu of $150,000 bail set by Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Joseph L. Rea. The investigation will be submitted to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office for prosecution.

The investigation determined that on Sat., June 9, Woodbridge Township police officer Carlos M. Villegas responded to South Fulton Street to investigate a complaint that Jirau had allegedly made improper advances to a 14 year-old female resident. The criminal complaint alleges that Jirau approached the 14 year-old female neighbor and offered her two hundred dollars to watch TV in his home. Additionally, it is charged that during the encounter on June 9, and on previous occasions, Jirau fondled his penis in the presence of the 14 year-old female. The juvenile advised her parents of the encounter and Woodbridge Township police were notified of the alleged activity. In responding to the complaint, P.O. Villegas encountered Jirau outside his 121 South Fulton Street residence and requested identification. It is alleged that Jirau displayed a silver badge and announced that he was a Perth Amboy police officer. The investigation determined that Jirau is not a police officer and that the badge was a plastic toy inscribed with “Police Play”.

Chief Trenery reminded Township residents to report suspicious activities and to always request and carefully scrutinize law enforcement identification when encountering non-uniformed police personnel. Residents of the South Fulton Street area are encouraged to report any suspicious activity involving Jirau to the Woodbridge Township Police Department at 732-634-7700 or to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-745-3300.

Woodbridge Township police officers Carlos M. Villegas and Michael Mason responded to the complaint. Det. Michael Decrosta is assigned to the investigation.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
John R. Hagerty
Mayor’s Office of Communications
732-602-6039

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