Man Suspects Women Stole His Jacket, He Follows Them and Police Arrest Pair

A man who believed nearby women stole his jacket from a restaurant followed them down Hooper Avenue, where he saw the women throw the jacket in a vacant gas station, police said. The pair were soon after arrested on a theft charge and on outstanding warrants.

Michael Mastronardy said the incident occurred with a small child in the two women's care. The boy's grandfather was called after the arrest of sisters Andrea Rivera, 24, of Seaside Heights and Jawana Rivera, 20, of Brick.

Mastronardy said a 22-year old Toms River man was in the restaurant on Hooper avenue at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon and left his Northface brand jacket unattended for a few minutes.

"Once he realized it was taken, he approached two women with a small child who he felt were the only people nearby who could have taken his jacket," said the police chief in a statement.

The victim asked the two women to give his jacket back and he wouldn’t call the police, Mastronardy said. The females denied they took the jacket and walked away from the victim. "The victim was sure they took it, so he followed them."

Mastronardy said that the victim saw one of the women throw his jacket near the gas pumps of the vacant service station at Hooper and Oak Avenues. The jacket's value is unknown. 

Toms River Police Officer Robert Westfall located the suspects in a shopping area on Hooper Avenue. After an investigation by Officer Travis Seaman, Andrea Rivera was arrested on a warrant from Jackson Township and theft of the coat.  Jawana Rivera was arrested on a warrant from