It was front and center for members of Solebury Police Department at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting as Chief Dominick Bellizzie handed out commendations for work well done.
A Unit Citation Commendation was awarded to five officers and their K9 dog Blitz. The team captured a man staying at a hotel along Route 202 in Solebury who was wanted for attempted homicide and aggravated assault.
Honored, as fellow officers and their families looked on and Blitz barked approvingly, were Detective/Cpl. Jonathan Koretzky, and Officers Sean Murrin, Brendan Murphy, Patrick Dorsey, Matthew Rice.
Police were informed on June 9, 2022 that the suspect was staying in the Solebury hotel, the chief said.
“An operations plan was formulated for the execution of a high-risk arrest warrant. Once arrest and surveillance teams were in place, notification was made to the hotel staff and guests who were evacuated and relocated to a safe area,” he added.
The man, who was wanted by the Mercer County (N.J.) Sheriff’s Office, was taken into custody without incident at 2:53 a.m., the chief said.
A Merit Commendation was also awarded to Detective/Cpl. Koretzky for an investigation that began March 18 into the theft of $650,000 from an elderly Solebury resident by his caretaker/landscaper (who) filed false and misleading documents with the Social Security Administration to receive disability benefits, Chief Bellizzie said.
The man was charged with theft by unlawful taking, financial exploitation of an older adult and related charges. He was sentenced to three to six years in a state correctional institution and ordered to pay a half million dollars in restitution to the victim, along with $45,759 in restitution to Social Security, the chief said.
“This is close to my heart,” said Chief Bellizzie. “It’s a crime against the elderly — of which I am one.”
The Herald reported on March 30 that the man arrested by police is Robert Wootters, 56, of Warrington. In other police activity, District Judge Maggie Snow swore in a new full-time Solebury police officer, Officer Joshua Brooks, 30, of Warwick. He was accompanied by his wife and five children.
Officer Brooks, originally from Roslyn, graduated from Abington High School and later attended the Philadelphia Police Academy where he worked as a police officer in Philadelphia for the past five years.
Updated: May 3, 2023
Join our readers whose generous donations are making it possible for you to read our news coverage. Help keep local journalism alive and our community strong. Donate today.
