Grand Jury Does Not Return Indictment for Toms River Pair Arrested by Barnegat Police

An Ocean County grand jury recently did not return a two-part indictment against two defendants arrested by the Barnegat Police.

"The matters were presented to the grand jury, and no indictment was returned," Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Michel A. Paulhus said.

Barnegat Police had arrested Andrew Aurigemma, 21, on March 26 on burglary, attempted vehicle theft and criminal mischief charges, alleging that together with Valerie Rodd, 21, of Toms River he burglarized two pick-up trucks last December at the Stone's Northside Garage on Route 9 in Barnegat. Police arrested Rodd in February on charges of with the same allegations. 

The Barnegat police report issued to the media on March 28 stated that the original incident occurred on or about Dec. 23, 2011, when two snow plow-equipped pickup trucks parked at Stones Garage (427 Route 9) were burglarized.

Patrolman Alex Hoffman noticed a "suspicious vehicle" operated by Rodd  and stopped it as it was leaving the area, police said. Hoffman stopped the vehicle both because of its alleged suspicious appearance and for a traffic violation — a plastic license plate cover which obscured the plate, said Barnegat Police spokesman Lt. Keith Germain.

Aurigemma, who appeared "disheveled and dirty" walked up to the vehicle a short time later, claiming to have gotten into an argument with Rodd, police said.

According to an earlier release from the police, both Aurigemma and Rodd were arrested for drug possession charges that night, when .

Both Rodd and Aurigemma were charged with possession and released on their own recognizance, but three days later, on Dec. 26, 2011, the owner of Stones Garage discovered that the vehicles had been burglarized and reported the same to the police department, police said.

"Detective Michael Mitchell was able to use the information from Hoffman's stop to develop his investigation and ultimately determine that Aurigemma and Dodd were responsible for the burglaries," the police report stated.

Patch was not able to get in touch with either of the defendants for comment.

When asked to respond to the conclusion of the case, spokesman for the Barnegat police Germain said the department does not usually comment on the specifics after the matter had been sent on to the Prosecutor's Office. Generally speaking, however, Germain said the conclusion of this case was simply due process in action.

"That is why the court system is there," Germain said. "[Police] simply need probable cause, that’s what we use to charge someone, whereas a conviction requires proof beyond the reasonable doubt, which is a totally different burden of proof."