Police: Felon Possessed Handgun; Held on $200K Bail

A felon was found with a handgun after threatening a woman at his Toms River apartment Monday, township police alleged. 

Jesse Smith, 29, is being held in the Ocean County Jail on $200,000 bail with no 10 percent option after being charged with assault and weapons possession offenses stemming from an encounter with a Manchester woman asking for a loan repayment. 

Police responded to Smith's Briar Knolls apartment at 11:30 a.m. Monday when the 25-year-old Manchester woman, whose name was not released by police, reported that she was threatened by a man with a gun, said Chief of Police Michael Mastronardy. 

Upon investigation by officers, it was found that the woman had come to the apartment to collect $1,700 that she loaned Smith a week prior, the chief said. 

Smith then allegedly "grabbed the victim and brought her into his apartment then threaten her with a handgun," Mastronardy said. "The victim, who was not injured, was able to flee the apartment and contact police." 

A .22 caliber automatic handgun and two magazines holding hollow point ammunition were recovered by officers, the chief said. 

Police charged Smith with simple assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and possession of a weapon by a felon, according to Mastronardy. 

Officers Robert O’Neill, Jenifer Grob, Mark DeGrandis, Kevin OMelia and Detectives Randy Petrick and Mark Bajada investigated the incident, the chief said.