Police Blotter 1Weekly Police Blotter – Press Release

December 3rd, thru 8th, 2014

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  • Missing Person (Silver Alert) – On Sunday, December 07, 2014, at 7:24 p.m., Officer Dimitrios Tsarnas responded to a Leguene Avenue residence in Forked River in reference to a missing adult female. A family member reported that the female left the residence at approximately 5:30 p.m. to get a newspaper and had not returned. The family indicated that the 79-year-old female had a history of dementia and had been reported missing in the past. The missing female was entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and also met the criteria for a “Silver Alert” through the New Jersey State Police. While efforts were being made to obtain a photograph for release to the public/media, at 10:30 p.m., Long Beach Township Police Department located the missing female in the Holgate section of Long Beach Township. The missing female was involved in a minor one vehicle motor vehicle collision. The family was notified and responded to Long Beach Township. The missing female was removed from NCIC and the Silver Alert was ended. Any family member who is assisting a loved one who is struggling with Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia, etc., is encouraged to participate in the Project Lifesaver program through the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department. For more information on the Project Lifesaver program, Click Here.

  • DUI (Arrest) – On Sunday, December 7, 2014, at 7:11 a.m., Officer Keith Pearce and Officer Michael Hein responded to the intersection of Lake Barnegat Drive and Hilltop Drive in reference to a one car motor vehicle crash. The caller reported that the driver was slumped over the wheel in the front seat. Upon arrival, officers observed a 2011 Kia Forte which had run over a curb and crashed into a fence on the property of 691 Lake Barnegat Drive North. Investigation at the scene led to the arrest of driver, 22-year-old Tyler Devlin of Phelps Avenue in Bayville, NJ for DUI. The vehicle was impounded pursuant to John’s Law. Tyler Devlin was transported to Lacey Township Police Headquarters where he was processed and charged with DUI, Reckless Driving, and Failure to Stop.

  • Drug Possession (Arrest) – On Saturday, December 6, 2014, at 8:44 p.m., Officer Michael Verwey was on patrol when he observed a vehicle traveling North on Route 9 with no headlights activated. Officer Verwey stopped the vehicle on Route 9 South near Lakeside Drive South. Upon speaking with the driver, 25-year-old Daniel Graham of Seaview Avenue in Brick, NJ, Officer Verwey detected the odor of Marijuana emanating from inside the vehicle. Investigation at the scene led to the arrest of Daniel Graham for possession of Marijuana. Upon arrest, Daniel Graham was found to have two plastic bags containing cocaine and a straw in his possession. Daniel Graham was transported to Lacey Township Police Headquarters where he was processed and charged with Possession of Cocaine, Possession of Marijuana, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Daniel Graham was also issued motor vehicle summonses for Possession of CDS in a Motor Vehicle, Headlamps Required and Unregistered Motor Vehicle.

  • DUI (Arrest) – On Saturday, December 6, 2014, at 1:51 a.m., Officer Dimitrios Tsarnas was on patrol when he observed a vehicle speeding on Haines Street in the Lanoka Harbor section of the township. Officer Tsarnas stopped the motorist and further investigation led to the arrest of the driver, 31-year-old Kyle Firuta of Robbins Parkway in Toms River, NJ, for DUI. The vehicle was impounded pursuant to John’s Law. Kyle Firuta was transported to Lacey Township Police Headquarters where he was processed and served summonses for DUI, Speeding, Failure to Maintain a Lane, and Reckless Driving.

  • Obstructing & Resisting (Arrest) – On Saturday, December 6, 2014, at 1:51 a.m., Officer Michael Verwey assisted Officer Dimitrios Tsarnas on a motor vehicle stop which led to the arrest of 31-year-old Kyle Firuta of Toms River for DUI. The passenger in the vehicle, 26-year-old Brendan Glynn of 894 Sandy Circle in Manahawkin, NJ, appeared to be intoxicated and was belligerent during the traffic stop and arrest of Kyle Firuta. Brendan Glynn refused to cooperate with officers and his increased agitation led to him shoving Officer Verwey. Brendan Glynn was then placed under arrest for obstructing the administration of law. Brendan Glynn then resisted arrest by physically resisting the efforts of the officers to handcuff him. Brendan Glynn was successfully detained and handcuffed. Brendan Glynn was transported to Lacey Township Police Headquarters where he continued to act in a belligerent manner. Brendan Glynn was processed and released to a family member due to his level of impairment. Brendan Glynn was charged with Obstructing the Administration of Law, and Disorderly Conduct, and 3rd degree Resisting Arrest.

  • Underage Consumption of Alcohol (Formal Charge) – On Friday, December 5, 2014, 10:42 p.m., Officer Andrew Slota and Officer Noah Schaffer responded to 1935 Maywood Place for a report of a loud party. Upon knocking on the door, many party goers fled the residence and refused to provide the name and location of the homeowner. Investigation at the scene led to 18-year-old Amanda Abrams of 1935 Maywood Place, Forked River, NJ being charged with Underage Consumption on Private Property. Amanda Abrams was issued a special complaint summons at the scene.

  • Mail/Phone Scam Alert – On Friday, December 5, 2014, Officer Michael Verwey received a report of a possible phone scam which began with a postcard that was received in the mail. The resident stated that he received a postcard in the mail which had his wife’s name specifically listed as having an unclaimed reward of $80 dollars. The card indicated she would receive a $40 Visa Gift Card and $40 dollars in gas savings. Based on the postcard, in order to claim the reward, the recipient of the card was to call a number (1-844-267-7589). The resident called the number and reported that an operator requested his personal information and credit card number. The resident did not provide any information, as he recognized it as a possible attempt to fraudulently obtain credit card information. Residents are reminded that both mail and telephone scams are now a regular occurrence. The creativity of the scammers seems limitless. Most of their efforts tend to center around obtaining personal identifiers, credit card numbers, and/or the transfer of money. While a vast majority of intended victims quickly recognize the scam attempts, there are still some who do not realize the scam until after they comply with the requests and are victimized. Residents are asked to be very careful and not to relay personal identifiers, credit card numbers, and money transfers in suspicious situations. The most common scam networks are actually international and continue to operate because they have great success in obtaining money through scams in this country. The Lacey Township Police Department has investigated cases in the past in which victims have forwarded tens of thousands of dollars to international scam artists with no way to recover their losses.

  • Traffic Accident with Serious Injury – On Friday, December 5, 2014, at 5:14 p.m., officers from the Lacey Township Police Department responded to the intersection of Lacey Road and Briggs Avenue North for a motor vehicle accident with injuries and entrapment. Upon arrival at the scene, Officer Noah Schaffer along with other responding officers discovered that 78-year-old Richard Smagula of Lacey Township was trapped inside his Honda Accord. Preliminary investigation revealed that Richard Smagula was the only occupant of his vehicle and had attempted to cross Lacey Road from Briggs Avenue North when his vehicle crossed the path of another vehicle traveling westbound on Lacey Road. The second vehicle was a Ford Mustang which impacted the driver’s side of the Honda Accord. The second vehicle (Ford Mustang) was being operated by 18-year-old Abigail Herb of Lacey Township who did not report sustaining any injuries. The Forked River Fire Department responded to the scene and was able to extricate Richard Smagula from the Honda Accord. Richard Smagula was transported to the Jersey Shore Medical Center by Lacey EMS along with MONOC Paramedics. As of 9:00 p.m., Friday, December 5, 2014, Jersey Shore Medical Center has Richard Smagula listed as being in critical condition. This accident is currently under investigation.

  • Burglary & Theft (Arrests) – On the afternoon of Thursday, December 4, 2014, Lacey Police responded to a Jay Street address in Forked River in reference to a burglary to a shed. It was reported that unknown suspect(s) forced entry into a shed located on the property stealing various items that were stored and secured in the shed. The list of stolen items included three quads, a motorcycle, a generator, an air compressor, and various other tools. The theft was valued at $10,000. Several hours after taking the initial report, Patrol Officer Scott Anderson and Special Officer Edgar Lenkauskas conducted a motor vehicle stop on Bay Avenue in Forked River of a truck containing two quads. With the assistance from Lacey detectives, it was determined that the quads were stolen from the shed on Jay Street. Two 16-year-old juveniles who possessed the quads were taken into custody. As the investigation continued, two additional juveniles, both 15 years of age, were taken into custody by detectives. Three of the four juveniles, each from Forked River, were charged with various offenses including burglary, theft, and possession of stolen property prior to being released to their respective guardians. Detectives will be furthering the investigation and additional arrests are anticipated.

  • Shoplifting (Arrest) – On Thursday, December 4, 2014, at 6:14 p.m., Officer Evan Androcy responded to Walmart, 580 Route 9, Lanoka Harbor, in reference to shoplifting. The loss prevention employee reported observing 25-year-old Thomas Gilzow 4th of Overview Court in Bayville, NJ shoplift $31.80 worth of merchandise. Thomas Gilzow 4th was placed under arrest. Thomas Gilzow 4th was transported to Lacey Township Police Headquarters where he was processed and was charged with Shoplifting.

  • Criminal Mischief – On Thursday, December 4, 2014, at 5:03 p.m., Officer Evan Androcy took a report of criminal mischief to a vehicle while it was parked on Independence Drive in the Forked River section of the township. Between 8:30 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. on December 3, 2014, an unknown person reportedly keyed a car by inscribing a vulgar statement. The damage is estimated at $1,000.

  • Theft – On Thursday, December 4, 2014, 12:54 p.m., Officer Frederick Anderson responded to the Department of Public Works in reference to a theft of a car battery. The suspect was seen dropping off oil and then reportedly took a car battery that had been left for recycling. Investigation led to the identification of 23-year-old Matthew Muckelston of Capshaw Road in Forked River. Matthew Muckelston was charged with theft of moveable property on a special form of complaint summons. The suspect had already sold the battery to a commercial recycling center.

  • Traffic Accident (Failure to Report) – On Thursday, December 4, 2014, at 9:11 a.m., Officer Michael Hein responded to TD Bank, 106 Route 9 North, Forked River, NJ in reference to a damaged vehicle parked in the rear parking lot. The vehicle had front end damage consistent with being involved in a collision. The registered owner of the vehicle, 48-year-old John C. Bailey of Kearney Avenue in Seaside Heights, NJ was contacted. John C. Bailey informed Officer Hein that he struck a telephone pole at the northwest intersection of Route 9 South and Lacey Road earlier in the week and was working on getting the vehicle removed. Officer Hein completed a crash report and issued John Bailey motor vehicle summonses for Failure to Maintain a Lane, Leaving the Scene of an Accident and Failure to Report an Accident.

  • Shoplifting (Arrest) – On Wednesday, December 3, 2014, at 4:26 p.m., Officer Anthony Sarno responded to Walmart, 580 Route 9, Lanoka Harbor, NJ in reference to shoplifting. The Walmart Loss Prevention employee reported that 46-year-old Paul Deangelo 2nd of Andrew Avenue in Bayville, NJ concealed $21.91 worth of property and attempted to leave the store without paying for the items. Paul Deangelo 2nd initially provided Officer Sarno with a false name, address, and date of birth. Paul Deangelo 2nd was arrested and transported to Lacey Township Police Headquarters where he was processed and charged with Shoplifting.

  • Hit & Run MVA –On Tuesday, December 2, 2014, at 5:00 p.m., Officer Julie Barcalow responded to the area of Western Boulevard and Manchester Avenue in reference to a hit and run traffic accident. A resident reported that she was traveling East on Haines Street when the traffic light at the intersection of Manchester Avenue turned yellow. As she was going through the intersection, a dark SUV turned left in front of her and the vehicles collided in the intersection. The driver of the SUV reportedly fled the scene. A witness to the collision followed the fleeing vehicle and was able to get the registration of the vehicle. The 2001 Acura MDX was registered to a resident of Manchester, NJ and was located at 3 Hill Top Court in Lanoka Harbor. The vehicle had extensive front passenger side damage consistent with the information supplied. The driver of the vehicle was identified as 38-year-old Joan Mazzella of Stern Court in Barnegat, NJ. Joan Mazzella was issued motor vehicle summonses for Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Injury, Failure to Report a Motor Vehicle Accident, Failure to Yield to the Right of Way, and Careless Driving.