Kmart Christmas burglar hits bonanza

JERRY WOLKOWITZ staff The annual K’s Central Jersey Toy Train Show at St. John Vianney Parish Center hosted area model train aficionados Sunday. The show featured over 20 dealers selling new and used toy trains, their accessories and displays like the Krakowiecki family layout, above.

WOODBRIDGE — Police said a burglar or burglars helped themselves to approximately $45,000 worth of presents on Christmas Day.

Officers responded to the Kmart store on St. Georges Avenue in Avenel in the early morning hours of Dec. 25, where they discovered a rear loading dock door had been forced open, police said.

When the store manager arrived, he found that display cases containing jewelry, DVD players and electronic cameras were broken into and numerous items had been removed, police said.

Reports speculated that someone may have hid inside the store before closing, then forced the rear door to escape after stealing the merchandise, police said.

No suspects were identified.

— Bryan Sabella