Crime & Safety

UPDATE: Police Release Surveillance Footage of Elks Lodge Robbery

$1,000 stolen during incident late Tuesday night

Toms River police are searching for the suspect they said robbed the Toms River Elks Lodge while armed with an automatic handgun late Tuesday night.

Officers responded to the lodge at 600 Washington St. where the 70-year-old male bartender and a 66-year-old female Elks member said that a man armed with an automatic handgun stole $1,000 after a brief struggle near midnight, said Chief of Police Michael Mastronardy.

"During the struggle the female hit the suspect with a large bottle of alcohol," the chief said. "Neither of the victims received injuries."

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The suspect is described as a white male, 6 feet 1 inch tall with a heavy build, curly dark hair and was wearing a dark three-quarters parka, dark skull cap and a blue and white scarf covering his head, Mastronardy said. The suspect's age was not given by police.

Toms River Officer Chris McDowell and K-9 Officer Steve Eubanks are investigating along with Ocean County Sheriff's Department Detectives Randy Petrick and Roger Hull, Mastronardy said.

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Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Detective Bureau Capt. Bruce Burgess at 732-349-0150, ext. 1200, the chief said.


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