Weekly Police Blotter – Press Release
October 29, 2013 thru November 4th, 2013
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- Theft – On Tuesday, October 29, 2013, at 1:35 p.m., Officers Darrell Nick and Anthony Sarno responded to the CVS, 700 Route 9 North in Lanoka Harbor, for a theft. The victim reported that on September 20, 2013, between the hours of 3:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., while she was working in the store, an unknown person or persons stole her white-gold diamond ring, valued at $1,200. The victim reported that she removed the ring for work purposes and when she went to retrieve it, it was missing.
- Theft – On Wednesday, October 30, 2013, at 2:19 a.m., Officer Andrew Slota responded to Kent Drive in Forked River for a theft. The victim reported that on October 30, 2013, between 12:30 a.m. and 1:30 a.m., an unknown person or persons stole her three foot tall gray “Geisha Girl” concrete lawn ornament valued at $200 from the front lawn of her residence.
- DUI and Drug Possession (Arrest) – On Thursday, October 31, 2013, at 12:15 a.m., Special Officer Jesse Urban was patrolling the Wawa, 800 Lacey Road in Forked River. While at the Wawa, he investigated a male subject who was slumped over the steering wheel of a vehicle. Officer Michael Eden responded to assist. The officers observed a considerable number of bundled packets of heroin which led to the arrest of the driver, 33-year-old Joel L. Cotto of Waretown, NJ. He was arrested for DUI and Possession of Heroin. Continuing investigation led to a charge of Possession of Heroin with intent to Distribute. Joel Cotto was transported to police headquarters. He was processed and criminally charged with Possession of Heroin, Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. His bail was set at $75,000. In addition Joel Cotto was issued traffic summonses for DUI, Reckless Driving, and Possession of CDS in a motor vehicle. Joel Cotto was lodged in the Ocean County Correctional Facility in lieu of his bail. The vehicle was impounded pursuant to John’s Law.
- Criminal Mischief (Township Property) – On Thursday, October 31, 2013, at 12:04 p.m., Officers Peter Donahue and Daniel Ricciardella, responded to Ash Road Park, 501 Ash Road in Lanoka Harbor, for criminal mischief to the playground equipment. During the overnight hours of October 31, 2013, an unknown person(s) had poured a chlorine type substance on the equipment as well as dented it. The Lacey Township Road Department was contacted. The cost of cleanup and repairs was estimated at $250.
- Criminal Mischief (Residence) – On Friday, November 1, 2013, at 2:33 p.m., Officer John Simonson responded to the 700 block of South River Drive in Forked River for criminal mischief. The victim reported that during the overnight hours, an unknown person threw eggs at her and her husband’s vehicles. In addition the unknown person(s) made holes in her above-ground pool and as a result, the water came out. The eggs were cleaned off of the vehicles. Damage to the pool is estimated at $3,000.
- Burglary and Theft (Auto) – On Friday, November 1, 2013, at 8:39 p.m., Officer Charles May responded to the 500 block of Rosewood Drive in Lanoka Harbor for a theft. The victim reported that between 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 31, 2013, and 9:00 a.m. on Friday, November 1, 2013, an unknown person or persons entered his unlocked vehicle that was parked in the driveway and stole approximately $20 in change and his iPod Nano valued at $125.
- False Report to Law Enforcement – On Friday, November 1, 2013, 8:54 p.m., Sergeant Paul Sullivan, Jr., and Officer Charles May responded to the 300 block of Bayside East Parkway in Forked River for a report of an attempted robbery that had reportedly just occurred in the parking lot of Walmart, 580 Route 9 North in Lanoka Harbor. The complainant, 51-year-old Lloyd Jenkins of Lanoka Harbor, reported that he was accosted by a male subject with a knife in the parking lot. After a lengthy investigation, it was determined that the incident never occurred. Lloyd Jenkins was later processed and released after receiving a criminal summons for Filing a False Police Report.
- Drug Possession (Arrest) – On Friday, November 1, 2013, at 11:43 p.m., Special Officer Jesse Urban conducted a traffic stop on Cedar Avenue in Lanoka Harbor near Hebrew Park. Sergeant Paul Sullivan Jr. arrived to assist. Investigation at the scene led to the arrest of the driver, a 17-year-old juvenile male of Lanoka Harbor, for Possession of Marijuana. The driver was processed and charged on a juvenile complaint with the above offense. He was later released to his parent.
- Possession of Alcoholic Beverages while Under the Legal Age (Formal Charge) – On Saturday, November 2, 2013, at 2:35 a.m., Special Officer Michael Hutman stopped a male subject who was walking on Penn Avenue North near Steuben Avenue in Forked River carrying an alcoholic beverage. Officer Charles May responded to assist. The subject of the investigation, identified as 20-year-old Michael P. Geotz of Forked River, was issued a Special Form of Complaint and Summons for Underage Possession of Alcohol.
- Obstructing the Administration of Law (Arrest) – While officers were conducting an investigation on Penn Avenue North into the underage possession of alcohol, a resident on the 400 block of Penn Avenue North, later identified as 70-year-old David Koudelik, approached the officers and began to interfere with their investigation. Officer May observed that David Koudelik appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and informed him not to interfere in their investigation. David Koudelik was observed by officers to be holding a handgun. After repeated demands for David Koudelik to drop the handgun without compliance, he finally complied. David Koudelik was arrested and transported to police headquarters. He was processed and later released after receiving a criminal summons for Obstructing the Administration of Law. The incident is currently under investigation and additional charges are pending.
- Burglary (Auto) – On Saturday, November 2, 2013, at 11:48 a.m., Officers Peter Donahue and Daniel Ricciardella, responded to Jacqueline Court in Lanoka Harbor for a theft. The victim stated that between the overnight hours of Thursday, October 31, 2013 and the morning hours of Saturday, November 2, 2013, an unknown person or persons entered his vehicle and moved around the contents. At the time of the report, the victim did not believe anything was missing. There were no signs of forced entry.
- DUI and Drug Possession (Arrest) – On Saturday, November 2, 2013, at 11:42 p.m., Special Officer Jesse Urban was patrolling the parking lot of Applebee’s Restaurant, 404 Route 9 South in Forked River. While patrolling the parking lot, Special Officer Urban observed a subject slumped over inside a parked vehicle. Special Officer Urban approached the vehicle and observed a hypodermic syringe and open wax-folds of heroin. Special Officer Urban awoke the driver. Sergeant Paul Sullivan, Jr. and Officer Julie Barcalow responded to assist. The driver was identified as 22-year-old Joshua M. Pelcman of Bayville, NJ. He was placed under arrest and subsequently found to be in possession of additional wax-folds of heroin. Joshua Pelcman was transported to headquarters. He was processed and later released after receiving criminal summonses for Possession of Heroin, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Possession of a Hypodermic Needle. In addition, Joshua Pelcman received traffic summonses for DUI, Reckless Driving, and CDS in a Motor Vehicle.
- DUI (Arrest) – On Sunday, November 3, 2013, at 1:29 a.m., Officer Charles May conducted a traffic stop on Beach Boulevard in Forked River. Investigation at the scene led to the arrest of the driver, 18-year-old William S. Docherty of Forked River, for DUI. He was transported to police headquarters. William Docherty was processed and later released after receiving summonses for DUI, Reckless Driving, Failure to Stop, Failure to Maintain Lane, Obstruction of View, and Failure to Wear Seatbelt. The vehicle William Docherty was operating was impounded pursuant to John’s Law.
- Aggravated Assault (stabbing) and Possession of a Weapon – On Sunday, November 3, 2013, at 2:21 a.m., the Lacey Township Police Department was contacted in reference to a large fight at the Forked River House, 121 Route 9 South in Forked River. During a large brawl that extended from inside the building out into the parking lot, 21-year-old Saul Garcia from Whitesville Road in Jackson (formerly of Lakewood) was stabbed through the forearm with a large knife and lacerated up toward the elbow. Saul Garcia was transported to Community Medical Center then flown to Jersey Shore Trauma Center. Initially officers arrived at the Forked River House to find well over 100 people engaged in fighting and aggressive behavior in the parking lot. The Ocean Township (Waretown) Police Department and the Berkeley Township Police Department were called upon to assist with the unruly and hostile crowd. While dealing with the hostile crowd in the parking lot, officers learned that a stabbing victim was incapacitated within the building. The stabbing victim, 21-year-old Saul Garcia, was attended to at the scene by officers while the remaining officers dealt with the hostile crowd outside the building. The amount of blood and damage at the scene was indicative of injuries well beyond the stabbing victim within the establishment. The patrons who were active in the fight(s) fled the area. A check of the area hospitals revealed that 24-year-old Jose Garcia of Whitesville Road in Jackson (formerly of Lakewood) had arrived at the Community Medical Center Emergency Room for treatment of significant injuries to his face and jaw due to the fight at the Forked River House. Blood was present throughout the establishment as well as outside the building consistent with multiple persons sustaining significant injuries, yet at this time, only the two aforementioned victims have been identified. Jose Garcia was initially treated at Community Medical Center and released while his brother, Saul Garcia, is being treated at the Jersey Shore Medical Center and is listed in stable condition. This agency has learned that since being released from Community Medical Center, Jose Garcia was later admitted to the Jersey Shore Medical Center for surgery due to the severity of his facial injuries. This matter is under continuing investigation, as detectives are working to identify persons depicted in photos seized from a patron’s digital camera at the scene.
- Warrant and Drug (Arrest) – On Monday, November 4, 2013, at 5:13 p.m., Officer Evan Androcy conducted a traffic stop on East Haines Street in Lanoka Harbor. Investigation at the scene led to the arrest of the driver, 20-year-old Brandon R. Koppenjan of Lanoka Harbor, NJ, on two outstanding warrants. Warrant number one (1) was issued by Lacey Township in the amount of $750. Warrant number two (2) was issued by Brick Township in the amount of $500. Brandon Koppenjan was transported to police headquarters and processed. He was lodged in the Ocean County Correctional Facility in lieu of $1,250 bail. Brandon Koppenjan also received a criminal summons for Possession of Marijuana. In addition, he received traffic summonses for Driving with a Suspended Driver’s License, and for Operating an Unregistered and Uninsured vehicle. The vehicle was impounded by Lacey Amoco.