Homeless youth charged as adult BY MELISSA KARSH Staff Writer RED BANK - A homeless male suspect in a string of minor burglaries in the borough misrepresented that he was a 16-year-old juvenile when police apprehended him Oct. 29, according to the Red Bank Police Department. Red Bank police obtained a copy of Ismael Rojas-Vela's birth certificate from Mexico and discovered that he was actually 19 years old and not a juvenile, police said. Originally, Rojas-Vela was charged as a juvenile for two counts of burglary and theft, three counts of criminal mischief, and one count each of criminal trespass and resisting arrest and was committed to the Monmouth County Youth Detention Center in Freehold Township, according to police. In light of the new evidence that Rojas- Vela is not a juvenile, he was recharged with his previous crimes as an adult, according to a press release from the police department. In addition to those charges, Rojas-Vela was also charged with hindering his own apprehension for supplying false information regarding his date of birth, according to police. Rojas-Vela, who is actually a male 19- year-old homeless youth, first came onto the radar of police when he was arrested Oct. 22 and charged with criminal trespass for entering a vacant residence on East Bergen Place. That same residence was again entered through a broken basement window and burglarized Oct. 29, according to the press release. According to the release, an officer was responding to an alleged burglary to an office building across the street where entry was also gained by breaking a basement window. In both cases small personal items were allegedly taken from the buildings. After police discovered the Oct. 29 burglaries, they contacted the owner of the vacant residence, and with the homeowner's cooperation installed an alarm there, according to police. Later in the day at 11:12 p.m., officers responded to the residence when they allege the alarm was activated by the suspect, who they said was seen fleeing from the residence upon the officers' arrival, according to police. After a brief foot chase, police apprehended the suspect, who turned out to be the same male homeless youth, Rojas-Vela, from a previous incident on Arthur Place, according to the press release. Rojas-Vela was transferred to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, Freehold Township; his bail was set at $136,500.